#42C2CC
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(74.9% 0.11 202.6), rgb(66, 194, 204).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.82:1).
About this color
#42C2CC is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.110 and its hue 203°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.034 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.82:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.110) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 9.82:1 |
| White text | 2.13:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42C2CC |
| RGB | rgb(66, 194, 204) |
| HSL | hsl(184, 58%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.9% 0.11 202.6) |
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 #42C2CC | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc -46.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #42C2CC | 9.82:1 | AAA | Lc 62.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #42C2CC text on white | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc 41.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #42C2CC text on black | 9.82:1 | AAA | Lc -60.6 | Content text, not long reading |
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
#EFF7F8
oklch(97% 0.009 205.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DBEEF0
oklch(93.6% 0.02 204.4)
-
Step 200
200
#BDE1E4
oklch(88.5% 0.038 202.7)
-
Step 300
300
#8ACED4
oklch(80.8% 0.069 202.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#42C2CC
oklch(74.9% 0.11 202.6)
-
Step 500
500
#009CA6
oklch(63.1% 0.107 202.8)
-
Step 600
600
#00838B
oklch(55.5% 0.095 202.3)
-
Step 700
700
#006E75
oklch(49% 0.083 202.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005A60
oklch(42.6% 0.073 202.7)
-
Step 900
900
#004B50
oklch(37.6% 0.064 202.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002D30
oklch(27% 0.046 201.8)
#42C2CC 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) | #B3BACD | 0.110 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FABCD | 0.102 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C9C5 | 0.030 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42C2CC
#42C2CC
oklch(74.9% 0.11 202.6)
- #EB918D
#EB918D
oklch(74.9% 0.11 22.8)
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 #42C2CC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.034
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.044
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.049
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.053
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.055
- Aqua Blue #02D8E9 ΔE 0.062
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.064
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.069
Use #42C2CC 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.