#42A8BB
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(68% 0.097 212.1), rgb(66, 168, 187).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.55:1).
About this color
#42A8BB is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 68%, its chroma 0.097 and its hue 212°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.55:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (68%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.097) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 7.55:1 |
| White text | 2.78:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42A8BB |
| RGB | rgb(66, 168, 187) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 48%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(68% 0.097 212.1) |
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 #42A8BB | 2.78:1 | Fails | Lc -58.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42A8BB | 7.55:1 | AAA | Lc 50.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A8BB text on white | 2.78:1 | Fails | Lc 53.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42A8BB text on black | 7.55:1 | AAA | Lc -48.5 | 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
#F0F7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.008 216.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DDEDF1
oklch(93.5% 0.018 214.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C1E0E6
oklch(88.6% 0.034 210.6)
-
Step 300
300
#93CCD7
oklch(81% 0.061 210.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42A8BB
oklch(68% 0.097 212.1)
-
Step 500
500
#009AB0
oklch(63% 0.11 212.4)
-
Step 600
600
#008294
oklch(55.7% 0.097 211.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7D
oklch(49.1% 0.086 212.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005967
oklch(42.6% 0.075 213)
-
Step 900
900
#004A56
oklch(37.6% 0.066 213)
-
Step 950
950
#002C34
oklch(26.9% 0.047 213.2)
#42A8BB 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) | #99A2BC | 0.089 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8795BB | 0.082 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00B0AE | 0.041 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #9B9B9B | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42A8BB
#42A8BB
oklch(68% 0.097 212.1)
- #CD8272
#CD8272
oklch(68.1% 0.097 32.7)
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 #42A8BB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.028
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.043
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.047
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.048
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.062
- Dull Teal #5F9E8F ΔE 0.063
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.064
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.067
Use #42A8BB 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.