#38DCDC
Closest named color: Turquoise (#40E0D0). oklch(81.5% 0.128 194.9), rgb(56, 220, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.43:1).
About this color
#38DCDC is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.128 and its hue 195°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise (#40E0D0), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.43:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.128) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise (#40E0D0) |
| Black text | 12.43:1 |
| White text | 1.68:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38DCDC |
| RGB | rgb(56, 220, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(180, 70%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.5% 0.128 194.9) |
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 #38DCDC | 1.68:1 | Fails | Lc -33.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38DCDC | 12.43:1 | AAA | Lc 74.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38DCDC text on white | 1.68:1 | Fails | Lc 29.5 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #38DCDC text on black | 12.43:1 | AAA | Lc -73.3 | 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
#CEF2F1
oklch(93.5% 0.037 194.5)
-
Step 200
200
#A1E8E8
oklch(88.4% 0.071 195.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38DCDC
oklch(81.5% 0.128 194.9)
-
Step 400
400
#00B7B8
oklch(70.6% 0.12 195.5)
-
Step 500
500
#009D9D
oklch(63% 0.108 194.8)
-
Step 600
600
#008484
oklch(55.5% 0.095 194.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006F6F
oklch(49% 0.084 194.8)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5B
oklch(42.7% 0.073 194.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004C4C
oklch(37.7% 0.064 194.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002D2D
oklch(26.9% 0.046 194.8)
#38DCDC 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) | #CDD1DC | 0.133 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B6C0DD | 0.125 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E3DC | 0.021 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C7C7C7 | 0.129 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38DCDC
#38DCDC
oklch(81.5% 0.128 194.9)
- #FFA6AD
#FFA6AD
oklch(81.5% 0.106 14.5)
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 #38DCDC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.023
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.027
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.032
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.043
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.058
- Aqua Marine #2EE8BB ΔE 0.066
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.068
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.068
Use #38DCDC 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.