#38BCCE
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(73.3% 0.113 208.4), rgb(56, 188, 206).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.25:1).
About this color
#38BCCE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.113 and its hue 208°. 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 9.25:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.113) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.25:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BCCE |
| RGB | rgb(56, 188, 206) |
| HSL | hsl(187, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.113 208.4) |
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 #38BCCE | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BCCE | 9.25:1 | AAA | Lc 59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38BCCE text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BCCE text on black | 9.25:1 | AAA | Lc -57.8 | 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
#BCE1E7
oklch(88.5% 0.04 208.4)
-
Step 300
300
#89CED9
oklch(80.9% 0.071 208.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BCCE
oklch(73.3% 0.113 208.4)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAC
oklch(63.1% 0.109 208.4)
-
Step 600
600
#008291
oklch(55.5% 0.096 208.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006E7A
oklch(49.2% 0.085 207.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005A64
oklch(42.8% 0.073 207.9)
-
Step 900
900
#004B54
oklch(37.8% 0.065 208.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C32
oklch(26.8% 0.046 208.8)
#38BCCE 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) | #ABB5CF | 0.107 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96A5CE | 0.099 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5C1 | 0.039 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.113 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BCCE
#38BCCE
oklch(73.3% 0.113 208.4)
- #E78C80
#E78C80
oklch(73.3% 0.113 28.2)
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 #38BCCE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.038
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.049
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.050
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.057
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.063
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.070
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.071
Use #38BCCE 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.