#538BAB
Closest named color: Dusty Blue (#5A86AD). oklch(61.1% 0.077 235), rgb(83, 139, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.64:1).
About this color
#538BAB is a medium-dark, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 61%, its chroma 0.077 and its hue 235°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dusty Blue (#5A86AD), ΔE 0.017 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.64:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (61%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.077) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dusty Blue (#5A86AD) |
| Black text | 5.64:1 |
| White text | 3.71:1 |
Values
| HEX | #538BAB |
| RGB | rgb(83, 139, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(202, 35%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(61.1% 0.077 235) |
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 #538BAB | 3.71:1 | AA large text | Lc -70.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #538BAB | 5.64:1 | AA | Lc 39.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #538BAB text on white | 3.71:1 | AA large text | Lc 64.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #538BAB text on black | 5.64:1 | AA | Lc -37.0 | 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
#F2F6F8
oklch(97.1% 0.005 228.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF0
oklch(93.5% 0.011 234.8)
-
Step 200
200
#CDDCE5
oklch(88.6% 0.02 233.9)
-
Step 300
300
#AAC5D6
oklch(80.9% 0.038 235.6)
-
Step 400
400
#7CA7C1
oklch(70.7% 0.06 235.3)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#538BAB
oklch(61.1% 0.077 235)
-
Step 600
600
#3D7B9D
oklch(55.6% 0.083 235)
-
Step 700
700
#2E6786
oklch(49% 0.077 235.2)
-
Step 800
800
#28546D
oklch(42.6% 0.064 235.9)
-
Step 900
900
#254658
oklch(37.7% 0.05 234)
-
Step 950
950
#162934
oklch(27% 0.032 235.1)
#538BAB 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) | #7C8AAD | 0.049 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7080AB | 0.043 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #229395 | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #848484 | 0.077 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #538BAB
#538BAB
oklch(61.1% 0.077 235)
- #A87756
#A87756
oklch(61.1% 0.077 54.7)
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 #538BAB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.017
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.022
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.033
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.034
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.036
- Blue Grey #758DA3 ΔE 0.041
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.042
- Silver Lake Blue #778DA9 ΔE 0.043
Use #538BAB 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.