#556EA5
Closest named color: French Blue (#436BAD). oklch(54.3% 0.092 264.9), rgb(85, 110, 165).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (5.04:1).
About this color
#556EA5 is a medium-dark, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 54%, its chroma 0.092 and its hue 265°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Blue (#436BAD), ΔE 0.027 away. White text reads best on it, at 5.04:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-dark (54%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.092) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | French Blue (#436BAD) |
| Black text | 4.15:1 |
| White text | 5.04:1 |
Values
| HEX | #556EA5 |
| RGB | rgb(85, 110, 165) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 32%, 49%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(54.3% 0.092 264.9) |
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 #556EA5 | 5.04:1 | AA | Lc -80.2 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #556EA5 | 4.15:1 | AA large text | Lc 29.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #556EA5 text on white | 5.04:1 | AA | Lc 74.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #556EA5 text on black | 4.15:1 | AA large text | Lc -26.9 | Dividers and decoration only |
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 600.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F5F9
oklch(97.1% 0.005 275)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAF2
oklch(93.6% 0.012 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D9E9
oklch(88.5% 0.023 266.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C1DC
oklch(81% 0.041 265)
-
Step 400
400
#8CA0CB
oklch(70.6% 0.067 265.3)
-
Step 500
500
#7089BD
oklch(63.1% 0.084 264.4)
-
Step 600
600 (this color)
#556EA5
oklch(54.3% 0.092 264.9)
-
Step 700
700
#495F91
oklch(49% 0.085 265.3)
-
Step 800
800
#3C4E76
oklch(42.7% 0.071 265.1)
-
Step 900
900
#33415F
oklch(37.7% 0.055 264.7)
-
Step 950
950
#1E2638
oklch(27% 0.036 265.6)
#556EA5 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) | #5973A7 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #516BA4 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #347A82 | 0.082 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #6F6F6F | 0.092 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #556EA5
#556EA5
oklch(54.3% 0.092 264.9)
- #886B28
#886B28
oklch(54.3% 0.092 85.1)
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 #556EA5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Blue #436BAD ΔE 0.027
- Flat Blue #3C73A8 ΔE 0.028
- Dull Blue #49759C ΔE 0.030
- Muted Blue #3B719F ΔE 0.031
- Stormy Blue #507B9C ΔE 0.044
- Metallic Blue #4F738E ΔE 0.044
- Cerulean #457B9D ΔE 0.045
- Windows Blue #3778BF ΔE 0.049
Use #556EA5 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.