#3988B2
Closest named color: Blue NCS (#118AB2). oklch(59.6% 0.1 235.2), rgb(57, 136, 178).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.33:1).
About this color
#3988B2 is a medium-dark, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.100 and its hue 235°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Blue NCS (#118AB2), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.33:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.100) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Blue NCS (#118AB2) |
| Black text | 5.33:1 |
| White text | 3.93:1 |
Values
| HEX | #3988B2 |
| RGB | rgb(57, 136, 178) |
| HSL | hsl(201, 51%, 46%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.6% 0.1 235.2) |
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 #3988B2 | 3.93:1 | AA large text | Lc -72.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #3988B2 | 5.33:1 | AA | Lc 37.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #3988B2 text on white | 3.93:1 | AA large text | Lc 66.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #3988B2 text on black | 5.33:1 | AA | Lc -35.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F6F9
oklch(97% 0.007 233.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E1ECF2
oklch(93.7% 0.014 231.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C9DCE9
oklch(88.4% 0.027 237.6)
-
Step 300
300
#A3C6DC
oklch(80.8% 0.049 235.8)
-
Step 400
400
#6FA9CB
oklch(70.8% 0.078 235.2)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#3988B2
oklch(59.6% 0.1 235.2)
-
Step 600
600
#1E7CA9
oklch(55.5% 0.108 235.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0C6991
oklch(49.2% 0.1 234.6)
-
Step 800
800
#115576
oklch(42.6% 0.084 235.7)
-
Step 900
900
#18475F
oklch(37.8% 0.065 234.6)
-
Step 950
950
#102A38
oklch(27.2% 0.041 234.6)
#3988B2 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) | #7487B4 | 0.061 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #637BB1 | 0.051 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009396 | 0.066 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #808080 | 0.100 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #3988B2
#3988B2
oklch(59.6% 0.1 235.2)
- #AC6E41
#AC6E41
oklch(59.5% 0.099 55.4)
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 #3988B2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.019
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.020
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.021
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.026
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.029
- Teal Blue #01889F ΔE 0.040
- Cerulean #457B9D ΔE 0.042
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.044
Use #3988B2 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.