#38DCFB
Closest named color: Aqua Blue (#02D8E9). oklch(82.6% 0.134 213.9), rgb(56, 220, 251).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.79:1).
About this color
#38DCFB is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 83%, its chroma 0.134 and its hue 214°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Aqua Blue (#02D8E9), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.79:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (83%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.134) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Aqua Blue (#02D8E9) |
| Black text | 12.79:1 |
| White text | 1.64:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38DCFB |
| RGB | rgb(56, 220, 251) |
| HSL | hsl(190, 96%, 60%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(82.6% 0.134 213.9) |
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 #38DCFB | 1.64:1 | Fails | Lc -31.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38DCFB | 12.79:1 | AAA | Lc 75.8 | Fine for body text |
| #38DCFB text on white | 1.64:1 | Fails | Lc 28.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #38DCFB text on black | 12.79:1 | AAA | Lc -74.9 | 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
#CEF1FA
oklch(93.6% 0.038 215)
-
Step 200
200
#9FE7F7
oklch(88.6% 0.075 213.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38DCFB
oklch(82.6% 0.134 213.9)
-
Step 400
400
#00B4CF
oklch(70.8% 0.124 213.4)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB2
oklch(63.1% 0.111 213.9)
-
Step 600
600
#008196
oklch(55.5% 0.098 214.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7E
oklch(49.1% 0.086 213.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005968
oklch(42.7% 0.075 214.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004A57
oklch(37.6% 0.066 214.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C34
oklch(26.9% 0.047 213.2)
#38DCFB 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) | #C6D5FD | 0.122 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #ACC2FB | 0.109 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E8E6 | 0.052 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CACACA | 0.135 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38DCFB
#38DCFB
oklch(82.6% 0.134 213.9)
- #FFAF9C
#FFAF9C
oklch(82.6% 0.098 33.9)
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 #38DCFB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.030
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.050
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.050
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.058
- Robin's Egg #6DEDFD ΔE 0.059
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.060
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.062
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.064
Use #38DCFB 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.