#42A0BC
Closest named color: Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0). oklch(66.1% 0.096 220.8), rgb(66, 160, 188).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (6.98:1).
About this color
#42A0BC is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 66%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 221°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 6.98:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (66%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0) |
| Black text | 6.98:1 |
| White text | 3.00:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42A0BC |
| RGB | rgb(66, 160, 188) |
| HSL | hsl(194, 48%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(66.1% 0.096 220.8) |
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 #42A0BC | 3.00:1 | AA large text | Lc -61.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #42A0BC | 6.98:1 | AA | Lc 47.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A0BC text on white | 3.00:1 | AA large text | Lc 56.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A0BC text on black | 6.98:1 | AA | Lc -45.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
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
#F1F6F8
oklch(97% 0.006 223.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E1ECF0
oklch(93.6% 0.013 221.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DEE5
oklch(88.6% 0.026 218)
-
Step 300
300
#A0C8D6
oklch(80.9% 0.047 221.2)
-
Step 400
400
#68ACC2
oklch(70.7% 0.076 220.7)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#42A0BC
oklch(66.1% 0.096 220.8)
-
Step 600
600
#00809D
oklch(55.6% 0.102 221.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006C84
oklch(49.2% 0.09 220.2)
-
Step 800
800
#00586D
oklch(42.6% 0.078 221.3)
-
Step 900
900
#0E4959
oklch(37.7% 0.063 220.8)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2B34
oklch(27.1% 0.04 220.3)
#42A0BC 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) | #8F9CBE | 0.080 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7E8FBC | 0.072 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00A9A9 | 0.050 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #959595 | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42A0BC
#42A0BC
oklch(66.1% 0.096 220.8)
- #C57E64
#C57E64
oklch(66.1% 0.096 40.8)
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 #42A0BC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.044
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.047
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.050
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.061
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.063
- Silver Lake Blue #778DA9 ΔE 0.067
- Blue Grey #758DA3 ΔE 0.067
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.067
Use #42A0BC 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.