#42BDAE
Closest named color: Topaz (#13BBAF). oklch(72.7% 0.11 183.7), rgb(66, 189, 174).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.12:1).
About this color
#42BDAE is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.110 and its hue 184°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Topaz (#13BBAF), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.12:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.110) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Topaz (#13BBAF) |
| Black text | 9.12:1 |
| White text | 2.30:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BDAE |
| RGB | rgb(66, 189, 174) |
| HSL | hsl(173, 48%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.7% 0.11 183.7) |
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 #42BDAE | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc -49.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BDAE | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc 58.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BDAE text on white | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc 45.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #42BDAE text on black | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc -57.0 | 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
#EFF8F6
oklch(97.2% 0.01 181.4)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEEEB
oklch(93.5% 0.019 184.9)
-
Step 200
200
#BEE2DC
oklch(88.5% 0.039 184.3)
-
Step 300
300
#8ED0C5
oklch(81% 0.069 183)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BDAE
oklch(72.7% 0.11 183.7)
-
Step 500
500
#009F91
oklch(63.1% 0.112 184)
-
Step 600
600
#008679
oklch(55.7% 0.099 183.1)
-
Step 700
700
#007066
oklch(49% 0.087 184.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005C53
oklch(42.6% 0.076 183.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004D45
oklch(37.7% 0.067 183.1)
-
Step 950
950
#002E29
oklch(27.1% 0.048 183.6)
#42BDAE 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) | #B4B3AE | 0.116 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A2A5AF | 0.111 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C1B8 | 0.021 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BDAE
#42BDAE
oklch(72.7% 0.11 183.7)
- #E0899F
#E0899F
oklch(72.7% 0.109 3.8)
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 #42BDAE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.019
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.037
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.039
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.057
- Green Blue #01C08D ΔE 0.057
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.057
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.059
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.062
Use #42BDAE 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.