#38CDDA
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(77.9% 0.121 203.8), rgb(56, 205, 218).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.91:1).
About this color
#38CDDA is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.121 and its hue 204°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.91:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.121) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 10.91:1 |
| White text | 1.92:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38CDDA |
| RGB | rgb(56, 205, 218) |
| HSL | hsl(185, 69%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.9% 0.121 203.8) |
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 #38CDDA | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc -40.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38CDDA | 10.91:1 | AAA | Lc 67.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38CDDA text on white | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc 36.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38CDDA text on black | 10.91:1 | AAA | Lc -66.1 | 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
#EAF9FA
oklch(97.1% 0.016 201.7)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F1F5
oklch(93.6% 0.035 205.5)
-
Step 200
200
#A4E7ED
oklch(88.5% 0.067 203)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38CDDA
oklch(77.9% 0.121 203.8)
-
Step 400
400
#00B6C3
oklch(70.8% 0.121 203.9)
-
Step 500
500
#009CA7
oklch(63.1% 0.108 203.6)
-
Step 600
600
#00838D
oklch(55.6% 0.095 204.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006E76
oklch(49.1% 0.084 203.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005A61
oklch(42.6% 0.073 204)
-
Step 900
900
#004B51
oklch(37.6% 0.064 204)
-
Step 950
950
#002D31
oklch(27.1% 0.046 204.1)
#38CDDA 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) | #BCC4DB | 0.120 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A6B4DB | 0.111 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D5D1 | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.122 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38CDDA
#38CDDA
oklch(77.9% 0.121 203.8)
- #FB9791
#FB9791
oklch(77.9% 0.121 23.9)
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 #38CDDA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.020
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.027
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.031
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.039
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.054
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.061
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.065
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.066
Use #38CDDA 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.