#51BAE8
Closest named color: Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF). oklch(74.6% 0.116 230), rgb(81, 186, 232).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.53:1).
About this color
#51BAE8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.116 and its hue 230°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.53:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.116) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Deep Sky Blue (#00BFFF) |
| Black text | 9.53:1 |
| White text | 2.20:1 |
Values
| HEX | #51BAE8 |
| RGB | rgb(81, 186, 232) |
| HSL | hsl(198, 77%, 61%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.6% 0.116 230) |
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 #51BAE8 | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc -47.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #51BAE8 | 9.53:1 | AAA | Lc 60.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #51BAE8 text on white | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc 43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #51BAE8 text on black | 9.53:1 | AAA | Lc -59.1 | 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
#EFF7FB
oklch(97.1% 0.01 228.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEDF5
oklch(93.6% 0.021 227.5)
-
Step 200
200
#BFDFEF
oklch(88.5% 0.04 229.4)
-
Step 300
300
#8FCAE7
oklch(80.9% 0.073 230)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#51BAE8
oklch(74.6% 0.116 230)
-
Step 500
500
#0096C6
oklch(63% 0.126 229.9)
-
Step 600
600
#007EA7
oklch(55.5% 0.111 230)
-
Step 700
700
#006A8D
oklch(49.1% 0.098 229.8)
-
Step 800
800
#005774
oklch(42.7% 0.085 229.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004862
oklch(37.7% 0.076 230.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002B3C
oklch(27.1% 0.054 230.4)
#51BAE8 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) | #A3B7EA | 0.082 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EA8E7 | 0.071 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C7C9 | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #51BAE8
#51BAE8
oklch(74.6% 0.116 230)
- #E89667
#E89667
oklch(74.6% 0.117 50)
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 #51BAE8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.038
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.040
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.058
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.065
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.067
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.069
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.075
Use #51BAE8 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.