#38C3E2
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(75.8% 0.122 216.5), rgb(56, 195, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.07:1).
About this color
#38C3E2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.122 and its hue 217°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.07:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.122) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.07:1 |
| White text | 2.08:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38C3E2 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 195, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(191, 75%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.122 216.5) |
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 #38C3E2 | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc -44.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38C3E2 | 10.07:1 | AAA | Lc 63.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38C3E2 text on white | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc 40.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38C3E2 text on black | 10.07:1 | AAA | Lc -62.0 | 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
#86CDE0
oklch(80.8% 0.076 216.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#38C3E2
oklch(75.8% 0.122 216.5)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB5
oklch(63.2% 0.112 216)
-
Step 600
600
#008199
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C81
oklch(49% 0.088 217.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596A
oklch(42.8% 0.076 216.6)
-
Step 900
900
#004A58
oklch(37.7% 0.067 215.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002C35
oklch(27% 0.048 215.4)
#38C3E2 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) | #AEBDE4 | 0.106 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97ACE2 | 0.096 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CECD | 0.052 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B4B4B4 | 0.122 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38C3E2
#38C3E2
oklch(75.8% 0.122 216.5)
- #F39479
#F39479
oklch(75.9% 0.122 36.7)
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 #38C3E2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.028
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.041
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.047
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.048
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.056
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.059
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.060
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.064
Use #38C3E2 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.