#516E81
Closest named color: Metallic Blue (#4F738E). oklch(52.3% 0.045 237.5), rgb(81, 110, 129).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (5.38:1).
About this color
#516E81 is a medium-dark, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 52%, its chroma 0.045 and its hue 237°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Metallic Blue (#4F738E), ΔE 0.022 away. White text reads best on it, at 5.38:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (52%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.045) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Metallic Blue (#4F738E) |
| Black text | 3.89:1 |
| White text | 5.38:1 |
Values
| HEX | #516E81 |
| RGB | rgb(81, 110, 129) |
| HSL | hsl(204, 23%, 41%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(52.3% 0.045 237.5) |
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 #516E81 | 5.38:1 | AA | Lc -82.1 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #516E81 | 3.89:1 | AA large text | Lc 27.2 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #516E81 text on white | 5.38:1 | AA | Lc 76.8 | Fine for body text |
| #516E81 text on black | 3.89:1 | AA large text | Lc -24.9 | Dividers and decoration only |
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 700.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F6F7
oklch(97.2% 0.003 228.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAEE
oklch(93.5% 0.007 247.9)
-
Step 200
200
#D2DAE0
oklch(88.4% 0.012 239.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C3CD
oklch(80.9% 0.022 236.8)
-
Step 400
400
#8DA4B4
oklch(70.6% 0.035 238.4)
-
Step 500
500
#708EA2
oklch(63.1% 0.045 237.6)
-
Step 600
600
#58788D
oklch(55.6% 0.049 237.6)
-
Step 700
700 (this color)
#516E81
oklch(52.3% 0.045 237.5)
-
Step 800
800
#3B5261
oklch(42.6% 0.038 237.4)
-
Step 900
900
#33444F
oklch(37.7% 0.029 236.9)
-
Step 950
950
#1E282E
oklch(27% 0.018 234.7)
#516E81 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) | #666D82 | 0.028 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #5F6881 | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #417374 | 0.035 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #6A6A6A | 0.045 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #516E81
#516E81
oklch(52.3% 0.045 237.5)
- #7E6450
#7E6450
oklch(52.4% 0.045 59.1)
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 #516E81, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Metallic Blue #4F738E ΔE 0.022
- Slate #516572 ΔE 0.031
- Dull Blue #49759C ΔE 0.042
- Battleship Gray #6C757D ΔE 0.045
- Dim Gray #696969 ΔE 0.045
- Stormy Blue #507B9C ΔE 0.049
- Cerulean #457B9D ΔE 0.049
- Muted Blue #3B719F ΔE 0.049
Use #516E81 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.