#38CDCF
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(77.5% 0.12 196.3), rgb(56, 205, 207).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.80:1).
About this color
#38CDCF is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 196°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.012 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.80:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 10.80:1 |
| White text | 1.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38CDCF |
| RGB | rgb(56, 205, 207) |
| HSL | hsl(181, 61%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.5% 0.12 196.3) |
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 #38CDCF | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc -41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38CDCF | 10.80:1 | AAA | Lc 67.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38CDCF text on white | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc 36.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38CDCF text on black | 10.80:1 | AAA | Lc -65.5 | 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
#EAF9F9
oklch(97.1% 0.016 196.9)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F2F1
oklch(93.7% 0.035 194.4)
-
Step 200
200
#A5E7E8
oklch(88.4% 0.066 197.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38CDCF
oklch(77.5% 0.12 196.3)
-
Step 400
400
#00B7B9
oklch(70.6% 0.12 196.2)
-
Step 500
500
#009D9F
oklch(63.1% 0.107 196.4)
-
Step 600
600
#008486
oklch(55.6% 0.095 196.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006F70
oklch(49.1% 0.084 195.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5C
oklch(42.7% 0.073 196.1)
-
Step 900
900
#004C4D
oklch(37.8% 0.064 196.3)
-
Step 950
950
#002D2E
oklch(27% 0.046 197.1)
#38CDCF 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) | #BFC3CF | 0.124 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A9B3D0 | 0.116 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D4CD | 0.023 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.121 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38CDCF
#38CDCF
oklch(77.5% 0.12 196.3)
- #F8959B
#F8959B
oklch(77.4% 0.119 16.3)
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 #38CDCF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.012
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.016
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.040
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.055
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.055
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.056
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.056
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.060
Use #38CDCF 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.