#3BC9DE
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(77.1% 0.12 209.6), rgb(59, 201, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.59:1).
About this color
#3BC9DE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 210°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.59:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.59:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #3BC9DE |
| RGB | rgb(59, 201, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(188, 71%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.1% 0.12 209.6) |
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 #3BC9DE | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #3BC9DE | 10.59:1 | AAA | Lc 66.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #3BC9DE text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 37.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #3BC9DE text on black | 10.59:1 | AAA | Lc -64.5 | 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
#EAF9FB
oklch(97.2% 0.016 206.4)
-
Step 100
100
#D0F1F7
oklch(93.6% 0.035 209.8)
-
Step 200
200
#A5E6F1
oklch(88.5% 0.067 209.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#3BC9DE
oklch(77.1% 0.12 209.6)
-
Step 400
400
#00B5CA
oklch(70.8% 0.122 209.4)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAD
oklch(63.1% 0.109 209.2)
-
Step 600
600
#008292
oklch(55.6% 0.096 209.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7B
oklch(49% 0.085 210.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005A65
oklch(42.8% 0.074 209.1)
-
Step 900
900
#004B54
oklch(37.8% 0.065 208.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#3BC9DE 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) | #B7C2DF | 0.113 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0B1DE | 0.103 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D3CF | 0.043 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.120 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #3BC9DE
#3BC9DE
oklch(77.1% 0.12 209.6)
- #F79687
#F79687
oklch(77% 0.12 29.5)
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 #3BC9DE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.029
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.031
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.040
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.040
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.045
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.061
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.064
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.064
Use #3BC9DE 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.