#38C4F6
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(76.9% 0.134 227.2), rgb(56, 196, 246).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.39:1).
About this color
#38C4F6 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.134 and its hue 227°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.39:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.134) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.39:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38C4F6 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 196, 246) |
| HSL | hsl(196, 91%, 59%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.9% 0.134 227.2) |
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 #38C4F6 | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38C4F6 | 10.39:1 | AAA | Lc 65.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38C4F6 text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 38.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38C4F6 text on black | 10.39:1 | AAA | Lc -63.6 | 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
#EAF8FF
oklch(97.1% 0.018 229)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F0FE
oklch(93.6% 0.038 226)
-
Step 200
200
#A6E4FF
oklch(88.6% 0.073 226.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38C4F6
oklch(76.9% 0.134 227.2)
-
Step 400
400
#00B0E2
oklch(70.6% 0.137 227.2)
-
Step 500
500
#0097C2
oklch(63.1% 0.122 226.9)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA4
oklch(55.6% 0.108 227.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006B8A
oklch(49.2% 0.095 226.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005772
oklch(42.6% 0.083 227.6)
-
Step 900
900
#00495F
oklch(37.8% 0.072 226.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002B3A
oklch(27% 0.052 227.2)
#38C4F6 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) | #A9C0F8 | 0.098 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90AFF5 | 0.084 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D2D5 | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.135 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38C4F6
#38C4F6
oklch(76.9% 0.134 227.2)
- #F99765
#F99765
oklch(76.8% 0.135 47.1)
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 #38C4F6, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.022
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.022
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.026
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.050
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.059
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.064
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.068
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.070
Use #38C4F6 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.