#38C2DF
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(75.4% 0.12 215.4), rgb(56, 194, 223).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.95:1).
About this color
#38C2DF is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 215°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.95:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 9.95:1 |
| White text | 2.11:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38C2DF |
| RGB | rgb(56, 194, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.12 215.4) |
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 #38C2DF | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc -45.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #38C2DF | 9.95:1 | AAA | Lc 63.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38C2DF text on white | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc 40.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38C2DF text on black | 9.95:1 | AAA | Lc -61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
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
#EEF7FA
oklch(97% 0.01 219.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DAEEF3
oklch(93.6% 0.022 214.4)
-
Step 200
200
#BBE1EB
oklch(88.6% 0.042 215.5)
-
Step 300
300
#87CDDF
oklch(80.8% 0.075 215.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38C2DF
oklch(75.4% 0.12 215.4)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB4
oklch(63.2% 0.112 215.3)
-
Step 600
600
#008197
oklch(55.5% 0.098 215.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006D80
oklch(49.2% 0.087 215.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005969
oklch(42.7% 0.076 215.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004A58
oklch(37.7% 0.067 215.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#38C2DF 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) | #AEBCE1 | 0.107 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97ABDF | 0.096 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CDCB | 0.051 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.121 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38C2DF
#38C2DF
oklch(75.4% 0.12 215.4)
- #F1937A
#F1937A
oklch(75.5% 0.12 35.7)
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 #38C2DF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.032
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.045
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.046
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.051
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.058
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.059
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.060
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.064
Use #38C2DF 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.