#42BDD2
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(74% 0.11 211.2), rgb(66, 189, 210).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.44:1).
About this color
#42BDD2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.110 and its hue 211°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.045 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.44:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.110) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 9.44:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BDD2 |
| RGB | rgb(66, 189, 210) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 62%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74% 0.11 211.2) |
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 #42BDD2 | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BDD2 | 9.44:1 | AAA | Lc 60.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #42BDD2 text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #42BDD2 text on black | 9.44:1 | AAA | Lc -58.7 | 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
#BDE0E8
oklch(88.4% 0.038 213.1)
-
Step 300
300
#8BCDDA
oklch(80.9% 0.069 211.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BDD2
oklch(74% 0.11 211.2)
-
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)
#42BDD2 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) | #ACB6D3 | 0.103 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97A7D2 | 0.093 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C6C3 | 0.043 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.110 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BDD2
#42BDD2
oklch(74% 0.11 211.2)
- #E89080
#E89080
oklch(74% 0.11 31)
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 #42BDD2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.045
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.049
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.050
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.057
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.061
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.065
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.065
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.065
Use #42BDD2 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.