#38B9CD
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(72.6% 0.112 210.1), rgb(56, 185, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.98:1).
About this color
#38B9CD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.112 and its hue 210°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.98:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.112) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 8.98:1 |
| White text | 2.33:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38B9CD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 185, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(188, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.6% 0.112 210.1) |
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 #38B9CD | 2.33:1 | Fails | Lc -50.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38B9CD | 8.98:1 | AAA | Lc 58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B9CD text on white | 2.33:1 | Fails | Lc 45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38B9CD text on black | 8.98:1 | AAA | Lc -56.4 | 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
#DBEEF1
oklch(93.6% 0.021 208.1)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE1E7
oklch(88.6% 0.039 208.8)
-
Step 300
300
#8ACDDA
oklch(80.8% 0.07 211.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38B9CD
oklch(72.6% 0.112 210.1)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAE
oklch(63.2% 0.109 210)
-
Step 600
600
#008292
oklch(55.6% 0.096 209.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7B
oklch(49% 0.085 210.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005A65
oklch(42.8% 0.074 209.1)
-
Step 900
900
#004B55
oklch(37.8% 0.065 210)
-
Step 950
950
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#38B9CD 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) | #A8B2CE | 0.105 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #93A3CD | 0.095 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C2BF | 0.040 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.112 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38B9CD
#38B9CD
oklch(72.6% 0.112 210.1)
- #E48B7C
#E48B7C
oklch(72.6% 0.112 30.3)
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 #38B9CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.031
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.050
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.054
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.058
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.071
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.072
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.074
Use #38B9CD 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.