#38BFBD
Closest named color: Topaz (#13BBAF). oklch(73.4% 0.112 193.5), rgb(56, 191, 189).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.35:1).
About this color
#38BFBD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.112 and its hue 194°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Topaz (#13BBAF), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.35:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.112) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Topaz (#13BBAF) |
| Black text | 9.35:1 |
| White text | 2.24:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BFBD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 191, 189) |
| HSL | hsl(179, 55%, 48%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.4% 0.112 193.5) |
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 #38BFBD | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc -48.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BFBD | 9.35:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38BFBD text on white | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc 43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BFBD text on black | 9.35:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | 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
#EFF8F7
oklch(97.2% 0.01 189.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEEEE
oklch(93.5% 0.02 196.8)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE2E0
oklch(88.6% 0.039 192.4)
-
Step 300
300
#8ACFCD
oklch(80.8% 0.069 193.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BFBD
oklch(73.4% 0.112 193.5)
-
Step 500
500
#009D9C
oklch(63% 0.108 194)
-
Step 600
600
#008483
oklch(55.5% 0.095 193.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006F6E
oklch(49% 0.084 193.7)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5A
oklch(42.6% 0.073 193.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004C4B
oklch(37.7% 0.064 193.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002D2D
oklch(26.9% 0.046 194.8)
#38BFBD 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) | #B3B5BD | 0.118 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FA7BE | 0.110 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5BE | 0.019 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.113 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BFBD
#38BFBD
oklch(73.4% 0.112 193.5)
- #E68B94
#E68B94
oklch(73.4% 0.111 13.8)
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 #38BFBD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.027
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.043
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.044
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.049
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.053
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.057
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.064
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.072
Use #38BFBD 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.