#38BDB3
Closest named color: Topaz (#13BBAF). oklch(72.6% 0.113 187.6), rgb(56, 189, 179).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.09:1).
About this color
#38BDB3 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.113 and its hue 188°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Topaz (#13BBAF), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.09:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.113) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Topaz (#13BBAF) |
| Black text | 9.09:1 |
| White text | 2.30:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BDB3 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 189, 179) |
| HSL | hsl(175, 54%, 48%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.6% 0.113 187.6) |
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 #38BDB3 | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc -50.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BDB3 | 9.09:1 | AAA | Lc 58.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38BDB3 text on white | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc 45.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #38BDB3 text on black | 9.09:1 | AAA | Lc -57.0 | 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
#EFF8F6
oklch(97.2% 0.01 181.4)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEFEC
oklch(93.7% 0.02 185.5)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE2DE
oklch(88.5% 0.039 188.5)
-
Step 300
300
#8BD0C9
oklch(81% 0.07 187.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BDB3
oklch(72.6% 0.113 187.6)
-
Step 500
500
#009E95
oklch(63% 0.11 187.7)
-
Step 600
600
#00857D
oklch(55.5% 0.097 187.4)
-
Step 700
700
#007069
oklch(49.1% 0.086 187.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005C56
oklch(42.8% 0.075 187.1)
-
Step 900
900
#004D48
oklch(37.8% 0.066 187.3)
-
Step 950
950
#002E2A
oklch(27.1% 0.048 185.8)
#38BDB3 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) | #B3B3B3 | 0.120 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0A5B4 | 0.112 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C2BA | 0.017 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BDB3
#38BDB3
oklch(72.6% 0.113 187.6)
- #E38899
#E38899
oklch(72.7% 0.113 8.2)
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 #38BDB3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.016
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.035
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.044
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.052
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.053
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.061
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.062
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.062
Use #38BDB3 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.