#38B4CD
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(71.4% 0.111 214.3), rgb(56, 180, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.57:1).
About this color
#38B4CD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 71%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 214°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.57:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (71%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 8.57:1 |
| White text | 2.44:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B4CD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 180, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.4% 0.111 214.3) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #38B4CD | 2.44:1 | Fails | Lc -52.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B4CD | 8.57:1 | AAA | Lc 56.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B4CD text on white | 2.44:1 | Fails | Lc 47.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B4CD text on black | 8.57:1 | AAA | Lc -54.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#EFF7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.009 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEEF2
oklch(93.7% 0.02 212.5)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE0E9
oklch(88.4% 0.039 215)
-
Step 300
300
#8CCDDC
oklch(81% 0.069 213.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B4CD
oklch(71.4% 0.111 214.3)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB3
oklch(63.1% 0.111 214.6)
-
Step 600
600
#008196
oklch(55.5% 0.098 214.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7F
oklch(49.2% 0.087 214.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005968
oklch(42.7% 0.075 214.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004A57
oklch(37.6% 0.066 214.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#38B4CD with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #A2AECE | 0.100 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8D9FCD | 0.090 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00BDBC | 0.044 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A6A6A6 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B4CD
#38B4CD
oklch(71.4% 0.111 214.3)
- #DF8874
#DF8874
oklch(71.4% 0.111 33.7)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #38B4CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.023
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.054
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.057
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.066
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.071
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.072
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.072
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.075
Use #38B4CD in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.