#42A0EA
Closest named color: Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF). oklch(68.3% 0.14 245.8), rgb(66, 160, 234).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.44:1).
About this color
#42A0EA is a medium-light, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 68%, its chroma 0.140 and its hue 246°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.44:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (68%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.140) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Chefchaouen Blue (#4895EF) |
| Black text | 7.44:1 |
| White text | 2.81:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42A0EA |
| RGB | rgb(66, 160, 234) |
| HSL | hsl(206, 80%, 59%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(68.3% 0.14 245.8) |
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 #42A0EA | 2.81:1 | Fails | Lc -59.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42A0EA | 7.44:1 | AAA | Lc 50.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A0EA text on white | 2.81:1 | Fails | Lc 53.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A0EA text on black | 7.44:1 | AAA | Lc -48.0 | 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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#EFF6FD
oklch(97% 0.012 248)
-
Step 100
100
#DDECFA
oklch(93.6% 0.025 246.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C0DDF8
oklch(88.5% 0.048 246.5)
-
Step 300
300
#91C7F6
oklch(80.9% 0.087 245.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42A0EA
oklch(68.3% 0.14 245.8)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE4
oklch(63% 0.162 246)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C1
oklch(55.5% 0.143 246.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A3
oklch(49.1% 0.126 245.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005387
oklch(42.8% 0.11 245.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004571
oklch(37.8% 0.096 245.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002846
oklch(26.9% 0.07 246.6)
#42A0EA 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) | #7EA3ED | 0.058 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #6793E9 | 0.043 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00B2BA | 0.102 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #9A9A9A | 0.140 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42A0EA
#42A0EA
oklch(68.3% 0.14 245.8)
- #D38524
#D38524
oklch(68.3% 0.141 65.8)
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 #42A0EA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.032
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.039
- Dark Sky Blue #448EE4 ΔE 0.048
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.062
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.066
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.079
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.082
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.085
Use #42A0EA 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.