#38C4E8
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(76.3% 0.125 219.5), rgb(56, 196, 232).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.22:1).
About this color
#38C4E8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.125 and its hue 219°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.22:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.125) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.22:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38C4E8 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 196, 232) |
| HSL | hsl(192, 79%, 56%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.3% 0.125 219.5) |
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 #38C4E8 | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38C4E8 | 10.22:1 | AAA | Lc 64.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38C4E8 text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 39.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38C4E8 text on black | 10.22:1 | AAA | Lc -62.7 | 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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#EAF8FD
oklch(97% 0.016 221.1)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F0FB
oklch(93.5% 0.037 220.5)
-
Step 200
200
#A5E5F9
oklch(88.6% 0.07 219.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38C4E8
oklch(76.3% 0.125 219.5)
-
Step 400
400
#00B2D7
oklch(70.6% 0.128 219.8)
-
Step 500
500
#0099B9
oklch(63.1% 0.115 219.7)
-
Step 600
600
#00809C
oklch(55.5% 0.101 220.3)
-
Step 700
700
#006C83
oklch(49.1% 0.089 219.3)
-
Step 800
800
#00586C
oklch(42.6% 0.078 220.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004A5A
oklch(37.8% 0.068 218.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C37
oklch(27.1% 0.049 219.4)
#38C4E8 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) | #AEBFEA | 0.105 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96ADE8 | 0.094 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D0CF | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.125 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38C4E8
#38C4E8
oklch(76.3% 0.125 219.5)
- #F59574
#F59574
oklch(76.2% 0.125 39.7)
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 #38C4E8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.021
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.033
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.042
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.052
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.055
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.055
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.064
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.067
Use #38C4E8 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.