#42A3A4
Closest named color: Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0). oklch(65.9% 0.09 196.1), rgb(66, 163, 164).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.00:1).
About this color
#42A3A4 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 66%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 196°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.00:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (66%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0) |
| Black text | 7.00:1 |
| White text | 2.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42A3A4 |
| RGB | rgb(66, 163, 164) |
| HSL | hsl(181, 43%, 45%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(65.9% 0.09 196.1) |
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 #42A3A4 | 2.99:1 | Fails | Lc -61.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #42A3A4 | 7.00:1 | AAA | Lc 47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A3A4 text on white | 2.99:1 | Fails | Lc 56.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A3A4 text on black | 7.00:1 | AAA | Lc -45.4 | 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
#F1F7F7
oklch(97.2% 0.006 197.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EDEC
oklch(93.7% 0.013 190.9)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DEDE
oklch(88.4% 0.023 196.7)
-
Step 300
300
#A0CACA
oklch(80.9% 0.044 196.3)
-
Step 400
400
#69AFAF
oklch(70.8% 0.071 195.7)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#42A3A4
oklch(65.9% 0.09 196.1)
-
Step 600
600
#008485
oklch(55.6% 0.095 195.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006F70
oklch(49.1% 0.084 195.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5C
oklch(42.7% 0.073 196.1)
-
Step 900
900
#0E4B4C
oklch(37.7% 0.059 196.6)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2C2C
oklch(27% 0.037 195.2)
#42A3A4 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) | #999CA4 | 0.093 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8990A5 | 0.087 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00A8A3 | 0.026 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #959595 | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42A3A4
#42A3A4
oklch(65.9% 0.09 196.1)
- #C37B7F
#C37B7F
oklch(66% 0.09 16.2)
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 #42A3A4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.025
- Dull Teal #5F9E8F ΔE 0.034
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.035
- Persian Green #2A9D8F ΔE 0.038
- Grey Teal #5E9B8A ΔE 0.040
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.042
- Blue Green #0F9B8E ΔE 0.047
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.052
Use #42A3A4 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.