#38B4DA
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(71.9% 0.118 223), rgb(56, 180, 218).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.70:1).
About this color
#38B4DA is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.118 and its hue 223°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.70:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.118) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 8.70:1 |
| White text | 2.41:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B4DA |
| RGB | rgb(56, 180, 218) |
| HSL | hsl(194, 69%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.9% 0.118 223) |
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 #38B4DA | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc -52.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B4DA | 8.70:1 | AAA | Lc 56.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B4DA text on white | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc 47.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B4DA text on black | 8.70:1 | AAA | Lc -54.9 | 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
#EFF7FA
oklch(97.1% 0.009 222.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEDF4
oklch(93.5% 0.021 223)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE0ED
oklch(88.6% 0.041 222.3)
-
Step 300
300
#8BCCE4
oklch(81% 0.074 223.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B4DA
oklch(71.9% 0.118 223)
-
Step 500
500
#0098BD
oklch(63.1% 0.118 223.1)
-
Step 600
600
#00809F
oklch(55.6% 0.103 222.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006B86
oklch(49% 0.091 223.1)
-
Step 800
800
#00586F
oklch(42.7% 0.08 223.4)
-
Step 900
900
#00495D
oklch(37.7% 0.071 223.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002B38
oklch(26.8% 0.05 223.6)
#38B4DA 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) | #9EB0DC | 0.094 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #88A0DA | 0.083 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C0C0 | 0.061 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.119 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B4DA
#38B4DA
oklch(71.9% 0.118 223)
- #E28B66
#E28B66
oklch(72% 0.118 43.5)
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 #38B4DA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.038
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.054
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.072
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.073
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.074
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.075
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.079
Use #38B4DA 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.