#538BBD
Closest named color: Faded Blue (#658CBB). oklch(61.9% 0.097 247), rgb(83, 139, 189).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.79:1).
About this color
#538BBD is a medium-dark, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 62%, its chroma 0.097 and its hue 247°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Faded Blue (#658CBB), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.79:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (62%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.097) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Faded Blue (#658CBB) |
| Black text | 5.79:1 |
| White text | 3.62:1 |
Values
| HEX | #538BBD |
| RGB | rgb(83, 139, 189) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 45%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(61.9% 0.097 247) |
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 #538BBD | 3.62:1 | AA large text | Lc -69.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #538BBD | 5.79:1 | AA | Lc 40.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #538BBD text on white | 3.62:1 | AA large text | Lc 63.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #538BBD text on black | 5.79:1 | AA | Lc -38.0 | 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
#F2F6FA
oklch(97.1% 0.007 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF3
oklch(93.6% 0.014 248)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDBEA
oklch(88.5% 0.026 248.1)
-
Step 300
300
#A9C4DE
oklch(80.9% 0.047 247.4)
-
Step 400
400
#7AA5CE
oklch(70.6% 0.076 247.8)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#538BBD
oklch(61.9% 0.097 247)
-
Step 600
600
#3A78AD
oklch(55.6% 0.105 246.9)
-
Step 700
700
#2C6595
oklch(49.2% 0.098 246.9)
-
Step 800
800
#265279
oklch(42.7% 0.081 247.7)
-
Step 900
900
#244461
oklch(37.6% 0.063 247.6)
-
Step 950
950
#162839
oklch(27% 0.04 248.2)
#538BBD 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) | #768CBF | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #6882BC | 0.032 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00979C | 0.082 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #868686 | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #538BBD
#538BBD
oklch(61.9% 0.097 247)
- #AD7A42
#AD7A42
oklch(62% 0.097 66.9)
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 #538BBD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.020
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.024
- Dusty Blue #5A86AD ΔE 0.025
- Off Blue #5684AE ΔE 0.026
- Steel Blue #4682B4 ΔE 0.031
- Blue NCS #118AB2 ΔE 0.046
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.049
- Silver Lake Blue #778DA9 ΔE 0.051
Use #538BBD 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.