#38BCDE
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(74% 0.12 219.3), rgb(56, 188, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.41:1).
About this color
#38BCDE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 219°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.043 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.41:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 9.41:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BCDE |
| RGB | rgb(56, 188, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(192, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74% 0.12 219.3) |
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 #38BCDE | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BCDE | 9.41:1 | AAA | Lc 60.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38BCDE text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BCDE text on black | 9.41:1 | AAA | Lc -58.6 | 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
#DBEEF4
oklch(93.7% 0.022 218.6)
-
Step 200
200
#BCE0EC
oklch(88.5% 0.041 220)
-
Step 300
300
#88CDE2
oklch(81% 0.075 219)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BCDE
oklch(74% 0.12 219.3)
-
Step 500
500
#0099B8
oklch(63.1% 0.114 219)
-
Step 600
600
#00809B
oklch(55.5% 0.101 219.5)
-
Step 700
700
#006C83
oklch(49.1% 0.089 219.3)
-
Step 800
800
#00586C
oklch(42.6% 0.078 220.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004A5A
oklch(37.8% 0.068 218.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C37
oklch(27.1% 0.049 219.4)
#38BCDE 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) | #A7B7E0 | 0.101 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90A7DE | 0.089 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C7C7 | 0.055 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.120 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BCDE
#38BCDE
oklch(74% 0.12 219.3)
- #EB8F71
#EB8F71
oklch(73.9% 0.12 38.8)
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 #38BCDE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.043
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.047
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.049
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.054
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.060
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.071
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.073
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.074
Use #38BCDE 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.