#538AE3
Closest named color: Dark Sky Blue (#448EE4). oklch(63.7% 0.146 259.6), rgb(83, 138, 227).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (6.11:1).
About this color
#538AE3 is a medium-light, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 64%, its chroma 0.146 and its hue 260°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Sky Blue (#448EE4), ΔE 0.015 away. Black text reads best on it, at 6.11:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (64%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.146) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Sky Blue (#448EE4) |
| Black text | 6.11:1 |
| White text | 3.43:1 |
Values
| HEX | #538AE3 |
| RGB | rgb(83, 138, 227) |
| HSL | hsl(217, 72%, 61%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(63.7% 0.146 259.6) |
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 #538AE3 | 3.43:1 | AA large text | Lc -67.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #538AE3 | 6.11:1 | AA | Lc 42.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #538AE3 text on white | 3.43:1 | AA large text | Lc 61.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #538AE3 text on black | 6.11:1 | AA | Lc -40.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#F2F6FC
oklch(97.2% 0.009 258.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAF8
oklch(93.5% 0.021 261.8)
-
Step 200
200
#CADAF4
oklch(88.4% 0.04 260.1)
-
Step 300
300
#A6C2EF
oklch(80.9% 0.071 259.8)
-
Step 400
400
#75A1E8
oklch(70.7% 0.115 259.7)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#538AE3
oklch(63.7% 0.146 259.6)
-
Step 600
600
#3570CF
oklch(55.7% 0.159 259.6)
-
Step 700
700
#285DB3
oklch(49.1% 0.148 259.7)
-
Step 800
800
#224C91
oklch(42.6% 0.123 259.9)
-
Step 900
900
#214074
oklch(37.7% 0.097 260.1)
-
Step 950
950
#142644
oklch(27% 0.061 260.1)
#538AE3 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) | #6292E7 | 0.028 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #4E84E1 | 0.017 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009EAB | 0.122 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #8A8A8A | 0.147 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #538AE3
#538AE3
oklch(63.7% 0.146 259.6)
- #B58000
#B58000
oklch(63.6% 0.132 79.4)
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 #538AE3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Sky Blue #448EE4 ΔE 0.015
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.022
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.031
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.038
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.050
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.057
- Cornflower #6A79F7 ΔE 0.060
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.064
Use #538AE3 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.