#38D8DD
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(80.6% 0.126 198.2), rgb(56, 216, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.03:1).
About this color
#38D8DD is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.126 and its hue 198°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.03:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.126) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 12.03:1 |
| White text | 1.74:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38D8DD |
| RGB | rgb(56, 216, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(182, 71%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(80.6% 0.126 198.2) |
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 #38D8DD | 1.74:1 | Fails | Lc -35.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38D8DD | 12.03:1 | AAA | Lc 72.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38D8DD text on white | 1.74:1 | Fails | Lc 31.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #38D8DD text on black | 12.03:1 | AAA | Lc -71.4 | 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
#E9F9F9
oklch(97% 0.017 196.9)
-
Step 100
100
#CFF2F3
oklch(93.6% 0.036 198.7)
-
Step 200
200
#A2E8EA
oklch(88.5% 0.07 198.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38D8DD
oklch(80.6% 0.126 198.2)
-
Step 400
400
#00B7BC
oklch(70.8% 0.12 198.3)
-
Step 500
500
#009DA1
oklch(63.2% 0.107 198)
-
Step 600
600
#008487
oklch(55.6% 0.095 197.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006F72
oklch(49.2% 0.084 198.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5D
oklch(42.7% 0.073 197.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004C4E
oklch(37.8% 0.064 197.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002D2F
oklch(27% 0.046 199.4)
#38D8DD 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) | #C8CEDE | 0.129 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B1BDDE | 0.120 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E0D9 | 0.026 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C4C4C4 | 0.127 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38D8DD
#38D8DD
oklch(80.6% 0.126 198.2)
- #FFA2A4
#FFA2A4
oklch(80.6% 0.111 18.4)
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 #38D8DD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.019
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.026
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.034
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.035
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.057
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.059
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.066
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.067
Use #38D8DD 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.