#38DAFE
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(82.3% 0.136 216.9), rgb(56, 218, 254).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.62:1).
About this color
#38DAFE is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.136 and its hue 217°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.034 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.62:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.136) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 12.62:1 |
| White text | 1.66:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38DAFE |
| RGB | rgb(56, 218, 254) |
| HSL | hsl(191, 99%, 61%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(82.3% 0.136 216.9) |
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 #38DAFE | 1.66:1 | Fails | Lc -32.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38DAFE | 12.62:1 | AAA | Lc 75.1 | Fine for body text |
| #38DAFE text on white | 1.66:1 | Fails | Lc 28.7 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #38DAFE text on black | 12.62:1 | AAA | Lc -74.2 | 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
#E9F9FD
oklch(97.1% 0.018 214.4)
-
Step 100
100
#CEF1FB
oklch(93.6% 0.039 216.9)
-
Step 200
200
#9FE6FA
oklch(88.5% 0.076 217.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38DAFE
oklch(82.3% 0.136 216.9)
-
Step 400
400
#00B3D3
oklch(70.7% 0.126 216.7)
-
Step 500
500
#0099B6
oklch(63% 0.113 217.6)
-
Step 600
600
#008199
oklch(55.6% 0.099 216.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C81
oklch(49% 0.088 217.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00596A
oklch(42.8% 0.076 216.6)
-
Step 900
900
#004A59
oklch(37.7% 0.067 217.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002C36
oklch(27% 0.048 217.4)
#38DAFE 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) | #C2D3FF | 0.117 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A8C0FE | 0.106 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E7E5 | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C9C9C9 | 0.136 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38DAFE
#38DAFE
oklch(82.3% 0.136 216.9)
- #FFAE96
#FFAE96
oklch(82.3% 0.102 37.2)
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 #38DAFE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.034
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.043
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.045
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.057
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.057
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.059
- Robin's Egg #6DEDFD ΔE 0.065
Use #38DAFE 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.