#42BCD1
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(73.7% 0.109 211.3), rgb(66, 188, 209).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.34:1).
About this color
#42BCD1 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.109 and its hue 211°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.042 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.34:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.109) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.34:1 |
| White text | 2.24:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BCD1 |
| RGB | rgb(66, 188, 209) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 61%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.7% 0.109 211.3) |
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 #42BCD1 | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc -48.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BCD1 | 9.34:1 | AAA | Lc 60.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #42BCD1 text on white | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc 44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #42BCD1 text on black | 9.34:1 | AAA | Lc -58.2 | 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
#EFF7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.009 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEEF1
oklch(93.7% 0.019 208.8)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE0E7
oklch(88.4% 0.038 211.1)
-
Step 300
300
#8CCDDA
oklch(80.9% 0.068 211.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BCD1
oklch(73.7% 0.109 211.3)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAF
oklch(63.2% 0.11 210.8)
-
Step 600
600
#008293
oklch(55.6% 0.096 210.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7C
oklch(49% 0.085 211.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005966
oklch(42.6% 0.074 211.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004B55
oklch(37.8% 0.065 210)
-
Step 950
950
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#42BCD1 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) | #ABB5D2 | 0.102 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97A6D1 | 0.094 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5C2 | 0.043 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.110 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BCD1
#42BCD1
oklch(73.7% 0.109 211.3)
- #E68F7F
#E68F7F
oklch(73.6% 0.109 31.1)
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 #42BCD1, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.042
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.052
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.052
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.056
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.063
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.064
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.066
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.067
Use #42BCD1 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.