#38D2AC
Closest named color: Emerald (#06D6A0). oklch(77.6% 0.137 172), rgb(56, 210, 172).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.98:1).
About this color
#38D2AC is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.137 and its hue 172°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Emerald (#06D6A0), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.98:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.137) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Emerald (#06D6A0) |
| Black text | 10.98:1 |
| White text | 1.91:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38D2AC |
| RGB | rgb(56, 210, 172) |
| HSL | hsl(165, 63%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.6% 0.137 172) |
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 #38D2AC | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc -40.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38D2AC | 10.98:1 | AAA | Lc 67.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38D2AC text on white | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc 36.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38D2AC text on black | 10.98:1 | AAA | Lc -66.4 | 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
#EAFAF4
oklch(97.2% 0.019 171.5)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F3E7
oklch(93.6% 0.04 172.7)
-
Step 200
200
#A5EAD3
oklch(88.5% 0.076 171.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38D2AC
oklch(77.6% 0.137 172)
-
Step 400
400
#00BC97
oklch(70.8% 0.137 171.9)
-
Step 500
500
#00A181
oklch(63.2% 0.122 172)
-
Step 600
600
#00876C
oklch(55.5% 0.108 172.1)
-
Step 700
700
#00725A
oklch(49.2% 0.096 171.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005D4A
oklch(42.6% 0.082 172.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004E3D
oklch(37.8% 0.073 171.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002E23
oklch(26.8% 0.052 171.9)
#38D2AC 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) | #CBC4AA | 0.141 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B7B5AF | 0.136 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D4C7 | 0.037 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.138 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38D2AC
#38D2AC
oklch(77.6% 0.137 172)
- #F890BF
#F890BF
oklch(77.6% 0.136 352.2)
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 #38D2AC, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.04 of #38D2AC.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Emerald #06D6A0 ΔE 0.026
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.028
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.047
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.049
- Greenblue #23C48B ΔE 0.054
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.056
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.056
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.058
Use #38D2AC 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.