#38BFD2
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(74.2% 0.115 208.9), rgb(56, 191, 210).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.55:1).
About this color
#38BFD2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.115 and its hue 209°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.043 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.55:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.115) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 9.55:1 |
| White text | 2.19:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38BFD2 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 191, 210) |
| HSL | hsl(187, 63%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.115 208.9) |
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 #38BFD2 | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc -47.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38BFD2 | 9.55:1 | AAA | Lc 61.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38BFD2 text on white | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc 42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38BFD2 text on black | 9.55:1 | AAA | Lc -59.3 | 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
#EFF7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.009 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEEF1
oklch(93.6% 0.021 208.1)
-
Step 200
200
#BCE1E7
oklch(88.5% 0.04 208.4)
-
Step 300
300
#88CED9
oklch(80.9% 0.072 208.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38BFD2
oklch(74.2% 0.115 208.9)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAD
oklch(63.1% 0.109 209.2)
-
Step 600
600
#008291
oklch(55.5% 0.096 208.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7A
oklch(49% 0.084 209.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005A64
oklch(42.8% 0.073 207.9)
-
Step 900
900
#004B54
oklch(37.8% 0.065 208.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#38BFD2 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) | #AEB8D3 | 0.109 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #98A8D2 | 0.099 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C8C5 | 0.038 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38BFD2
#38BFD2
oklch(74.2% 0.115 208.9)
- #EB8F81
#EB8F81
oklch(74.3% 0.115 29.4)
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 #38BFD2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.043
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.046
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.050
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.054
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.057
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.064
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.064
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.067
Use #38BFD2 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.