#38C0CD
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(74.2% 0.114 204.5), rgb(56, 192, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.58:1).
About this color
#38C0CD is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 205°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.58:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 9.58:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38C0CD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 192, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(185, 60%, 51%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.114 204.5) |
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 #38C0CD | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38C0CD | 9.58:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38C0CD text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38C0CD text on black | 9.58:1 | AAA | Lc -59.5 | 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
#EFF7F8
oklch(97% 0.009 205.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEEF0
oklch(93.6% 0.02 204.4)
-
Step 200
200
#BCE1E5
oklch(88.4% 0.039 204.5)
-
Step 300
300
#88CED6
oklch(80.8% 0.071 205)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38C0CD
oklch(74.2% 0.114 204.5)
-
Step 500
500
#009CA8
oklch(63.2% 0.108 204.4)
-
Step 600
600
#00838D
oklch(55.6% 0.095 204.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006E77
oklch(49.1% 0.084 204.7)
-
Step 800
800
#005A62
oklch(42.7% 0.073 205.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004B51
oklch(37.6% 0.064 204)
-
Step 950
950
#002D31
oklch(27.1% 0.046 204.1)
#38C0CD 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) | #B0B8CE | 0.112 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9BA9CD | 0.102 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C8C4 | 0.032 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38C0CD
#38C0CD
oklch(74.2% 0.114 204.5)
- #EB8E88
#EB8E88
oklch(74.2% 0.114 24.1)
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 #38C0CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.038
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.047
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.047
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.051
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.055
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.060
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.067
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.069
Use #38C0CD 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.