#38DFC9
Closest named color: Turquoise (#40E0D0). oklch(81.6% 0.135 181.7), rgb(56, 223, 201).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.56:1).
About this color
#38DFC9 is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.135 and its hue 182°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise (#40E0D0), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.56:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.135) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise (#40E0D0) |
| Black text | 12.56:1 |
| White text | 1.67:1 |
Values
| HEX | #38DFC9 |
| RGB | rgb(56, 223, 201) |
| HSL | hsl(172, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.6% 0.135 181.7) |
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 #38DFC9 | 1.67:1 | Fails | Lc -32.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #38DFC9 | 12.56:1 | AAA | Lc 74.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #38DFC9 text on white | 1.67:1 | Fails | Lc 29.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #38DFC9 text on black | 12.56:1 | AAA | Lc -73.9 | 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
#E9FAF6
oklch(97.1% 0.019 180.3)
-
Step 100
100
#CFF3EC
oklch(93.7% 0.038 182.4)
-
Step 200
200
#A1EADC
oklch(88.5% 0.075 181.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#38DFC9
oklch(81.6% 0.135 181.7)
-
Step 400
400
#00BAA6
oklch(70.8% 0.127 181.5)
-
Step 500
500
#009F8E
oklch(63% 0.113 181.8)
-
Step 600
600
#008677
oklch(55.6% 0.1 181.4)
-
Step 700
700
#007164
oklch(49.2% 0.089 181.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005C52
oklch(42.6% 0.076 182.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004D44
oklch(37.7% 0.068 181.7)
-
Step 950
950
#002E28
oklch(27% 0.049 181.5)
#38DFC9 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) | #D5D2C8 | 0.144 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BEC1CB | 0.136 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00E3D8 | 0.021 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C8C8C8 | 0.136 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #38DFC9
#38DFC9
oklch(81.6% 0.135 181.7)
- #FFA4BE
#FFA4BE
oklch(81.6% 0.112 1.3)
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 #38DFC9, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.04 of #38DFC9.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise #40E0D0 ΔE 0.011
- Aqua Marine #2EE8BB ΔE 0.037
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.041
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.048
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.054
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.056
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.056
- Emerald #06D6A0 ΔE 0.060
Use #38DFC9 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.