#38BCEE
Closest named color: Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF). oklch(74.7% 0.131 228.5), rgb(56, 188, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.59:1).
About this color
#38BCEE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.131 and its hue 228°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.59:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.131) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF) |
| Black text | 9.59:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BCEE |
| RGB | rgb(56, 188, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(196, 84%, 58%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.7% 0.131 228.5) |
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 #38BCEE | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BCEE | 9.59:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38BCEE text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BCEE text on black | 9.59:1 | AAA | Lc -59.6 | 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
#EEF7FB
oklch(97.1% 0.011 226)
-
Step 100
100
#DAEDF7
oklch(93.5% 0.024 230.4)
-
Step 200
200
#BBE0F1
oklch(88.6% 0.045 227.4)
-
Step 300
300
#87CBEB
oklch(80.8% 0.082 229.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BCEE
oklch(74.7% 0.131 228.5)
-
Step 500
500
#0097C4
oklch(63.2% 0.123 228.1)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA5
oklch(55.7% 0.108 227.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006A8C
oklch(49% 0.097 229.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005773
oklch(42.7% 0.084 228.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004860
oklch(37.5% 0.074 228.7)
-
Step 950
950
#002B3B
oklch(27% 0.053 228.8)
#38BCEE 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) | #A2B9F0 | 0.094 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8AA8ED | 0.080 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CACD | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.131 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BCEE
#38BCEE
oklch(74.7% 0.131 228.5)
- #EF925F
#EF925F
oklch(74.7% 0.131 48.6)
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 #38BCEE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.025
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.039
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.043
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.063
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.068
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.072
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.074
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.076
Use #38BCEE 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.