#42C4FA
Closest named color: Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0). oklch(77.3% 0.134 230.2), rgb(66, 196, 250).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.50:1).
About this color
#42C4FA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.134 and its hue 230°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.50:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.134) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Vivid Sky Blue (#4CC9F0) |
| Black text | 10.50:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #42C4FA |
| RGB | rgb(66, 196, 250) |
| HSL | hsl(198, 95%, 62%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.134 230.2) |
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 #42C4FA | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #42C4FA | 10.50:1 | AAA | Lc 65.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #42C4FA text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #42C4FA text on black | 10.50:1 | AAA | Lc -64.1 | 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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#EAF8FF
oklch(97.1% 0.018 229)
-
Step 100
100
#D1EFFF
oklch(93.5% 0.038 231)
-
Step 200
200
#AAE3FF
oklch(88.6% 0.07 229.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#42C4FA
oklch(77.3% 0.134 230.2)
-
Step 400
400
#00AFE7
oklch(70.6% 0.141 230.3)
-
Step 500
500
#0096C7
oklch(63.1% 0.126 230.5)
-
Step 600
600
#007EA8
oklch(55.6% 0.112 230.6)
-
Step 700
700
#006A8D
oklch(49.1% 0.098 229.8)
-
Step 800
800
#005775
oklch(42.8% 0.086 230.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004862
oklch(37.7% 0.076 230.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002B3C
oklch(27.1% 0.054 230.4)
#42C4FA 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) | #A8C1FD | 0.092 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90B0F9 | 0.079 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00D3D6 | 0.079 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.134 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #42C4FA
#42C4FA
oklch(77.3% 0.134 230.2)
- #F99A62
#F99A62
oklch(77.3% 0.135 50.2)
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 #42C4FA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.024
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.024
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.026
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.045
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.054
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.064
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.064
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.068
Use #42C4FA 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.