#38DBDF
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(81.4% 0.128 197.5), rgb(56, 219, 223).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.36:1).
About this color
#38DBDF is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.128 and its hue 197°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.36:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.128) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 12.36:1 |
| White text | 1.69:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38DBDF |
| RGB | rgb(56, 219, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(181, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.4% 0.128 197.5) |
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 #38DBDF | 1.69:1 | Fails | Lc -33.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38DBDF | 12.36:1 | AAA | Lc 74.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38DBDF text on white | 1.69:1 | Fails | Lc 29.9 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #38DBDF text on black | 12.36:1 | AAA | Lc -73.0 | 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
#CEF2F2
oklch(93.6% 0.037 196.5)
-
Step 200
200
#A1E8EA
oklch(88.5% 0.071 198.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38DBDF
oklch(81.4% 0.128 197.5)
-
Step 400
400
#00B7BB
oklch(70.7% 0.12 197.6)
-
Step 500
500
#009DA0
oklch(63.1% 0.107 197.2)
-
Step 600
600
#008487
oklch(55.6% 0.095 197.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006F71
oklch(49.1% 0.084 197)
-
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
#002D2E
oklch(27% 0.046 197.1)
#38DBDF 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) | #CBD1E0 | 0.131 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B4BFE0 | 0.123 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E3DC | 0.025 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C7C7C7 | 0.129 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38DBDF
#38DBDF
oklch(81.4% 0.128 197.5)
- #FFA6A9
#FFA6A9
oklch(81.4% 0.106 17.4)
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 #38DBDF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.022
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.029
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.032
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.042
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.061
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.068
- Robin's Egg #6DEDFD ΔE 0.070
Use #38DBDF 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.