#38B899
Closest named color: Greeny Blue (#42B395). oklch(70.6% 0.119 173), rgb(56, 184, 153).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.48:1).
About this color
#38B899 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 71%, its chroma 0.119 and its hue 173°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Greeny Blue (#42B395), ΔE 0.014 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.48:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (71%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.119) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Greeny Blue (#42B395) |
| Black text | 8.48:1 |
| White text | 2.47:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B899 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 184, 153) |
| HSL | hsl(165, 53%, 47%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(70.6% 0.119 173) |
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 #38B899 | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc -53.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B899 | 8.48:1 | AAA | Lc 55.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B899 text on white | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc 48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B899 text on black | 8.48:1 | AAA | Lc -53.7 | 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
#DCEFE8
oklch(93.6% 0.022 171.8)
-
Step 200
200
#BEE3D6
oklch(88.6% 0.043 172)
-
Step 300
300
#8DD1BC
oklch(80.9% 0.075 173)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B899
oklch(70.6% 0.119 173)
-
Step 500
500
#00A182
oklch(63.2% 0.122 172.6)
-
Step 600
600
#00876D
oklch(55.6% 0.107 172.9)
-
Step 700
700
#00725C
oklch(49.2% 0.094 173.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005D4B
oklch(42.7% 0.081 173.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004E3E
oklch(37.8% 0.073 172.9)
-
Step 950
950
#002E24
oklch(26.9% 0.051 173.7)
#38B899 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) | #B2AC98 | 0.124 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A19F9B | 0.119 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00BAAF | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.121 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B899
#38B899
oklch(70.6% 0.119 173)
- #D980A7
#D980A7
oklch(70.6% 0.119 352.8)
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 #38B899, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.014
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.030
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.036
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.036
- Dark Seafoam #1FB57A ΔE 0.046
- Bluey Green #2BB179 ΔE 0.046
- Greenblue #23C48B ΔE 0.046
- Dark Seafoam Green #3EAF76 ΔE 0.047
Use #38B899 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.