#538DDD
Closest named color: Dark Sky Blue (#448EE4). oklch(64% 0.135 256.8), rgb(83, 141, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (6.22:1).
About this color
#538DDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 64%, its chroma 0.135 and its hue 257°. 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 6.22:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (64%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.135) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Sky Blue (#448EE4) |
| Black text | 6.22:1 |
| White text | 3.37:1 |
Values
| HEX | #538DDD |
| RGB | rgb(83, 141, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(215, 67%, 60%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(64% 0.135 256.8) |
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 #538DDD | 3.37:1 | AA large text | Lc -66.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #538DDD | 6.22:1 | AA | Lc 43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #538DDD text on white | 3.37:1 | AA large text | Lc 61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #538DDD text on black | 6.22:1 | AA | Lc -40.7 | 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
#E2EBF7
oklch(93.7% 0.019 255.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CADBF2
oklch(88.6% 0.037 256)
-
Step 300
300
#A6C3EC
oklch(81% 0.066 257)
-
Step 400
400
#75A3E2
oklch(70.8% 0.105 256.4)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#538DDD
oklch(64% 0.135 256.8)
-
Step 600
600
#3372C7
oklch(55.5% 0.147 256.9)
-
Step 700
700
#255FAC
oklch(49% 0.137 256.8)
-
Step 800
800
#214E8C
oklch(42.7% 0.114 257.2)
-
Step 900
900
#20426F
oklch(37.8% 0.087 256.2)
-
Step 950
950
#132741
oklch(27% 0.055 255.7)
#538DDD 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) | #6A93E0 | 0.031 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #5786DB | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #009FAA | 0.112 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #8C8C8C | 0.135 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #538DDD
#538DDD
oklch(64% 0.135 256.8)
- #B97F00
#B97F00
oklch(63.9% 0.134 76.7)
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 #538DDD, 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
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.031
- Soft Blue #6488EA ΔE 0.031
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.036
- Faded Blue #658CBB ΔE 0.053
- Water Blue #0E87CC ΔE 0.054
- Dodger Blue #1E90FF ΔE 0.057
- Cool Blue #4984B8 ΔE 0.060
Use #538DDD 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.