#72AAE1
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(72.1% 0.1 248.9), rgb(114, 170, 225).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.55:1).
About this color
#72AAE1 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.100 and its hue 249°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.060 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.100) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.55:1 |
| White text | 2.45:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AAE1 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 170, 225) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 65%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.1% 0.1 248.9) |
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 #72AAE1 | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc -53.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AAE1 | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc 55.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAE1 text on white | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc 48.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAE1 text on black | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc -53.8 | 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
#F1F6FB
oklch(97.1% 0.009 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBF6
oklch(93.6% 0.018 250.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DCF0
oklch(88.6% 0.035 248.2)
-
Step 300
300
#A2C5E8
oklch(81% 0.062 248.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AAE1
oklch(72.1% 0.1 248.9)
-
Step 500
500
#448ED3
oklch(63.1% 0.128 249.1)
-
Step 600
600
#1E77C0
oklch(55.6% 0.139 248.8)
-
Step 700
700
#0E64A6
oklch(49.2% 0.129 248.8)
-
Step 800
800
#125286
oklch(42.8% 0.106 248.5)
-
Step 900
900
#18446C
oklch(37.8% 0.084 249.3)
-
Step 950
950
#0F283F
oklch(27% 0.053 248.7)
#72AAE1 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) | #94ACE4 | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #85A0E0 | 0.032 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3CB7BD | 0.086 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.100 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AAE1
#72AAE1
oklch(72.1% 0.1 248.9)
- #CE995D
#CE995D
oklch(72.1% 0.1 68.6)
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 #72AAE1, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.060
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.063
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.067
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.068
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.071
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.073
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.074
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.075
Use #72AAE1 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.