#38B59D
Closest named color: Greeny Blue (#42B395). oklch(69.9% 0.114 177.2), rgb(56, 181, 157).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.26:1).
About this color
#38B59D is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 70%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 177°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Greeny Blue (#42B395), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.26:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (70%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Greeny Blue (#42B395) |
| Black text | 8.26:1 |
| White text | 2.54:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B59D |
| RGB | rgb(56, 181, 157) |
| HSL | hsl(168, 53%, 46%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(69.9% 0.114 177.2) |
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 #38B59D | 2.54:1 | Fails | Lc -54.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B59D | 8.26:1 | AAA | Lc 54.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B59D text on white | 2.54:1 | Fails | Lc 49.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B59D text on black | 8.26:1 | AAA | Lc -52.5 | 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
#EFF8F5
oklch(97.2% 0.01 174.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEFE9
oklch(93.6% 0.022 175)
-
Step 200
200
#BFE2D9
oklch(88.5% 0.039 178.1)
-
Step 300
300
#8ED0C0
oklch(80.9% 0.071 177.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B59D
oklch(69.9% 0.114 177.2)
-
Step 500
500
#00A088
oklch(63.1% 0.117 177)
-
Step 600
600
#008772
oklch(55.7% 0.104 176.6)
-
Step 700
700
#007160
oklch(49.1% 0.091 177.4)
-
Step 800
800
#005D4E
oklch(42.8% 0.079 176.7)
-
Step 900
900
#004D41
oklch(37.6% 0.069 177.7)
-
Step 950
950
#002E26
oklch(26.9% 0.05 177.5)
#38B59D 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) | #AEAA9C | 0.119 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9D9D9F | 0.115 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00B8AE | 0.025 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A2A2A2 | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B59D
#38B59D
oklch(69.9% 0.114 177.2)
- #D67F9F
#D67F9F
oklch(69.9% 0.114 356.9)
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 #38B59D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.011
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.025
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.026
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.047
- Tea #65AB7C ΔE 0.049
- Bluey Green #2BB179 ΔE 0.051
- Dark Seafoam Green #3EAF76 ΔE 0.052
- Dark Seafoam #1FB57A ΔE 0.053
Use #38B59D 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.