#42BB9D
Closest named color: Greeny Blue (#42B395). oklch(71.7% 0.116 173.3), rgb(66, 187, 157).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.82:1).
About this color
#42BB9D is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.116 and its hue 173°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Greeny Blue (#42B395), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.82:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.116) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Greeny Blue (#42B395) |
| Black text | 8.82:1 |
| White text | 2.37:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BB9D |
| RGB | rgb(66, 187, 157) |
| HSL | hsl(165, 48%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.7% 0.116 173.3) |
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 #42BB9D | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc -51.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BB9D | 8.82:1 | AAA | Lc 57.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BB9D text on white | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc 46.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BB9D text on black | 8.82:1 | AAA | Lc -55.5 | 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
#EFF8F5
oklch(97.2% 0.01 174.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DDEFE8
oklch(93.7% 0.021 170.6)
-
Step 200
200
#BFE2D7
oklch(88.4% 0.04 174.4)
-
Step 300
300
#8FD0BC
oklch(80.8% 0.072 173.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BB9D
oklch(71.7% 0.116 173.3)
-
Step 500
500
#00A183
oklch(63.2% 0.121 173.2)
-
Step 600
600
#00876E
oklch(55.6% 0.106 173.6)
-
Step 700
700
#00725C
oklch(49.2% 0.094 173.1)
-
Step 800
800
#005D4B
oklch(42.7% 0.081 173.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004E3E
oklch(37.8% 0.073 172.9)
-
Step 950
950
#002E24
oklch(26.9% 0.051 173.7)
#42BB9D 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) | #B5AF9C | 0.121 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A4A39F | 0.115 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00BDB2 | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BB9D
#42BB9D
oklch(71.7% 0.116 173.3)
- #DC84AA
#DC84AA
oklch(71.7% 0.117 353)
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 #42BB9D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.023
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.029
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.037
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.041
- Greenblue #23C48B ΔE 0.044
- Tea #65AB7C ΔE 0.053
- Dark Seafoam #1FB57A ΔE 0.054
- Bluey Green #2BB179 ΔE 0.055
Use #42BB9D 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.