#51A8C9
Closest named color: Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4). oklch(69.1% 0.096 225.7), rgb(81, 168, 201).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.79:1).
About this color
#51A8C9 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 69%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 226°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4), ΔE 0.040 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.79:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (69%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Turquoise Blue (#06B1C4) |
| Black text | 7.79:1 |
| White text | 2.69:1 |
Values
| HEX | #51A8C9 |
| RGB | rgb(81, 168, 201) |
| HSL | hsl(196, 53%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(69.1% 0.096 225.7) |
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 #51A8C9 | 2.69:1 | Fails | Lc -57.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #51A8C9 | 7.79:1 | AAA | Lc 52.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #51A8C9 text on white | 2.69:1 | Fails | Lc 52.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #51A8C9 text on black | 7.79:1 | AAA | Lc -49.8 | 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
#F0F7FA
oklch(97.2% 0.008 225.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DEEDF3
oklch(93.7% 0.018 223.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DEEA
oklch(88.4% 0.033 226.4)
-
Step 300
300
#97C9DE
oklch(80.8% 0.06 225.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#51A8C9
oklch(69.1% 0.096 225.7)
-
Step 500
500
#0097C0
oklch(63% 0.12 225.7)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA2
oklch(55.5% 0.106 225.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006B89
oklch(49.1% 0.094 225.7)
-
Step 800
800
#005871
oklch(42.8% 0.081 225.4)
-
Step 900
900
#00495E
oklch(37.7% 0.071 225)
-
Step 950
950
#012B39
oklch(26.9% 0.051 225.9)
#51A8C9 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) | #96A5CB | 0.074 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8598C9 | 0.065 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00B2B3 | 0.060 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #9E9E9E | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #51A8C9
#51A8C9
oklch(69.1% 0.096 225.7)
- #CD8868
#CD8868
oklch(69% 0.096 45.6)
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 #51A8C9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.040
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.043
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.057
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.059
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.063
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.068
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.072
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.076
Use #51A8C9 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.