#72A9EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(72.5% 0.118 255), rgb(114, 169, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.63:1).
About this color
#72A9EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.118 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.053 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.63:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.118) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.63:1 |
| White text | 2.43:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72A9EF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 169, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 80%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.5% 0.118 255) |
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 #72A9EF | 2.43:1 | Fails | Lc -52.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72A9EF | 8.63:1 | AAA | Lc 56.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72A9EF text on white | 2.43:1 | Fails | Lc 47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72A9EF text on black | 8.63:1 | AAA | Lc -54.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F6FC
oklch(97.1% 0.01 252.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBF8
oklch(93.6% 0.021 254.9)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DBF4
oklch(88.4% 0.041 254)
-
Step 300
300
#A1C3F0
oklch(80.8% 0.074 255.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72A9EF
oklch(72.5% 0.118 255)
-
Step 500
500
#438AE2
oklch(63% 0.151 255.2)
-
Step 600
600
#1F72D0
oklch(55.5% 0.164 255.1)
-
Step 700
700
#105FB4
oklch(49% 0.152 255.1)
-
Step 800
800
#124E92
oklch(42.7% 0.127 255.1)
-
Step 900
900
#174274
oklch(37.8% 0.098 254.5)
-
Step 950
950
#0F2744
oklch(27% 0.062 254.6)
#72A9EF 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) | #8DADF2 | 0.034 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7DA1EE | 0.023 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2DB9C2 | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A6A6A6 | 0.118 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72A9EF
#72A9EF
oklch(72.5% 0.118 255)
- #D19B49
#D19B49
oklch(72.5% 0.118 75.3)
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 #72A9EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.053
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.057
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.058
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.072
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.072
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.078
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.083
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.085
Use #72A9EF 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.