#38BED5
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(74.1% 0.115 211.8), rgb(56, 190, 213).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.49:1).
About this color
#38BED5 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.115 and its hue 212°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.045 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.49:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.115) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.49:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BED5 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 190, 213) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 65%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.1% 0.115 211.8) |
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 #38BED5 | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -47.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BED5 | 9.49:1 | AAA | Lc 60.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38BED5 text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BED5 text on black | 9.49:1 | AAA | Lc -59.0 | 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
#EFF7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.009 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEEF2
oklch(93.6% 0.021 211.8)
-
Step 200
200
#BCE1E9
oklch(88.6% 0.04 212.2)
-
Step 300
300
#88CEDC
oklch(81% 0.073 211.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BED5
oklch(74.1% 0.115 211.8)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB0
oklch(63% 0.11 212.4)
-
Step 600
600
#008294
oklch(55.7% 0.097 211.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7D
oklch(49.1% 0.086 212.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005966
oklch(42.6% 0.074 211.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004A56
oklch(37.6% 0.066 213)
-
Step 950
950
#002C34
oklch(26.9% 0.047 213.2)
#38BED5 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) | #ACB7D6 | 0.107 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96A7D5 | 0.098 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C8C5 | 0.044 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.116 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BED5
#38BED5
oklch(74.1% 0.115 211.8)
- #EB8F7D
#EB8F7D
oklch(74.2% 0.116 31.9)
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 #38BED5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.045
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.048
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.048
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.059
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.061
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.061
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.061
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.067
Use #38BED5 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.