#38BBD8
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(73.5% 0.117 216.2), rgb(56, 187, 216).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.26:1).
About this color
#38BBD8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.117 and its hue 216°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.042 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.26:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.117) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.26:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BBD8 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 187, 216) |
| HSL | hsl(191, 67%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.5% 0.117 216.2) |
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 #38BBD8 | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BBD8 | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc 59.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38BBD8 text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BBD8 text on black | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc -57.9 | 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
#DBEEF3
oklch(93.7% 0.021 215.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BCE0EA
oklch(88.4% 0.04 216.4)
-
Step 300
300
#89CDDF
oklch(80.9% 0.073 216.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BBD8
oklch(73.5% 0.117 216.2)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB5
oklch(63.2% 0.112 216)
-
Step 600
600
#008198
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006C80
oklch(49% 0.087 216.4)
-
Step 800
800
#005969
oklch(42.7% 0.076 215.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004A58
oklch(37.7% 0.067 215.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#38BBD8 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) | #A7B5DA | 0.102 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92A5D8 | 0.093 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5C4 | 0.049 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BBD8
#38BBD8
oklch(73.5% 0.117 216.2)
- #E88E75
#E88E75
oklch(73.5% 0.116 36.3)
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 #38BBD8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.042
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.050
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.055
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.058
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.061
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.065
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.070
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.072
Use #38BBD8 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.