#42BDE2
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(74.6% 0.118 222), rgb(66, 189, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.60:1).
About this color
#42BDE2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.118 and its hue 222°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.60:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.118) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 9.60:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42BDE2 |
| RGB | rgb(66, 189, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(194, 73%, 57%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.6% 0.118 222) |
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 #42BDE2 | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42BDE2 | 9.60:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #42BDE2 text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #42BDE2 text on black | 9.60:1 | AAA | Lc -59.6 | 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
#EFF7FA
oklch(97.1% 0.009 222.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEDF4
oklch(93.5% 0.021 223)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE0ED
oklch(88.6% 0.041 222.3)
-
Step 300
300
#8ACCE3
oklch(80.9% 0.074 221.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42BDE2
oklch(74.6% 0.118 222)
-
Step 500
500
#0098BC
oklch(63% 0.117 222.5)
-
Step 600
600
#00809E
oklch(55.6% 0.103 221.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C85
oklch(49.2% 0.09 221.2)
-
Step 800
800
#00586E
oklch(42.7% 0.079 222.3)
-
Step 900
900
#00495C
oklch(37.6% 0.07 222.6)
-
Step 950
950
#002C38
oklch(27.2% 0.05 221.4)
#42BDE2 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) | #A7B8E4 | 0.095 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91A8E2 | 0.085 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C9C9 | 0.060 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.118 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42BDE2
#42BDE2
oklch(74.6% 0.118 222)
- #EB9370
#EB9370
oklch(74.6% 0.117 42.3)
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 #42BDE2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.037
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.043
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.049
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.057
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.062
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.063
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.073
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.074
Use #42BDE2 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.