#42BDA4
Closest named color: Topaz (#13BBAF). oklch(72.4% 0.114 176.7), rgb(66, 189, 164).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.04:1).
About this color
#42BDA4 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 177°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Topaz (#13BBAF), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.04:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Topaz (#13BBAF) |
| Black text | 9.04:1 |
| White text | 2.32:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BDA4 |
| RGB | rgb(66, 189, 164) |
| HSL | hsl(168, 48%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.4% 0.114 176.7) |
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 #42BDA4 | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc -50.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BDA4 | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc 58.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BDA4 text on white | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc 45.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BDA4 text on black | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc -56.6 | 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
#DCEFE9
oklch(93.6% 0.022 175)
-
Step 200
200
#BFE2D8
oklch(88.5% 0.039 176.2)
-
Step 300
300
#8ED0BF
oklch(80.8% 0.071 176.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BDA4
oklch(72.4% 0.114 176.7)
-
Step 500
500
#00A088
oklch(63.1% 0.117 177)
-
Step 600
600
#008772
oklch(55.7% 0.104 176.6)
-
Step 700
700
#00715F
oklch(49% 0.091 176.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005D4E
oklch(42.8% 0.079 176.7)
-
Step 900
900
#004D41
oklch(37.6% 0.069 177.7)
-
Step 950
950
#002E26
oklch(26.9% 0.05 177.5)
#42BDA4 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) | #B6B2A3 | 0.120 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A4A5A6 | 0.114 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C0B5 | 0.026 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BDA4
#42BDA4
oklch(72.4% 0.114 176.7)
- #DF87A7
#DF87A7
oklch(72.5% 0.114 357)
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 #42BDA4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.024
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.031
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.041
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.044
- Greenblue #23C48B ΔE 0.049
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.055
- Tea #65AB7C ΔE 0.062
- Dark Seafoam #1FB57A ΔE 0.063
Use #42BDA4 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.