#538C86
Closest named color: Dusty Teal (#4C9085). oklch(59.9% 0.061 187.1), rgb(83, 140, 134).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.46:1).
About this color
#538C86 is a medium-dark, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 60%, its chroma 0.061 and its hue 187°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dusty Teal (#4C9085), ΔE 0.014 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.46:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-dark (60%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.061) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dusty Teal (#4C9085) |
| Black text | 5.46:1 |
| White text | 3.84:1 |
Values
| HEX | #538C86 |
| RGB | rgb(83, 140, 134) |
| HSL | hsl(174, 26%, 44%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(59.9% 0.061 187.1) |
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 #538C86 | 3.84:1 | AA large text | Lc -71.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #538C86 | 5.46:1 | AA | Lc 38.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #538C86 text on white | 3.84:1 | AA large text | Lc 65.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #538C86 text on black | 5.46:1 | AA | Lc -35.8 | 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
#F3F6F6
oklch(97.1% 0.003 197.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E4ECEB
oklch(93.7% 0.009 188.1)
-
Step 200
200
#CEDDDB
oklch(88.6% 0.016 187.3)
-
Step 300
300
#ACC7C4
oklch(80.9% 0.029 188.4)
-
Step 400
400
#7FABA5
oklch(70.8% 0.048 185.8)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#538C86
oklch(59.9% 0.061 187.1)
-
Step 600
600
#41807A
oklch(55.6% 0.066 187.4)
-
Step 700
700
#326C67
oklch(49.1% 0.061 187.9)
-
Step 800
800
#2A5854
oklch(42.7% 0.051 188)
-
Step 900
900
#274945
oklch(37.8% 0.041 186)
-
Step 950
950
#182B28
oklch(27.2% 0.026 183.3)
#538C86 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) | #878686 | 0.066 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7C7F87 | 0.061 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3C8E8A | 0.019 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #828282 | 0.061 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #538C86
#538C86
oklch(59.9% 0.061 187.1)
- #A07179
#A07179
oklch(59.9% 0.06 7.8)
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 #538C86, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dusty Teal #4C9085 ΔE 0.014
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.038
- Slate Green #658D6D ΔE 0.041
- Teal Green #0A9396 ΔE 0.043
- Steel Grey #6F828A ΔE 0.044
- Dark Cyan #008B8B ΔE 0.045
- Grey Teal #5E9B8A ΔE 0.047
- Persian Green #2A9D8F ΔE 0.051
Use #538C86 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.