#72AAEF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(72.7% 0.117 254.3), rgb(114, 170, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.71:1).
About this color
#72AAEF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.117 and its hue 254°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.051 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.71:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.117) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.71:1 |
| White text | 2.41:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AAEF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 170, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(213, 80%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.7% 0.117 254.3) |
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 #72AAEF | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc -52.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AAEF | 8.71:1 | AAA | Lc 56.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAEF text on white | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc 47.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAEF text on black | 8.71:1 | AAA | Lc -54.7 | 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
#A1C4F0
oklch(81% 0.073 254.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AAEF
oklch(72.7% 0.117 254.3)
-
Step 500
500
#428BE1
oklch(63.1% 0.149 254.3)
-
Step 600
600
#1C73CF
oklch(55.6% 0.162 254.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0C60B3
oklch(49.1% 0.15 254.1)
-
Step 800
800
#104F91
oklch(42.8% 0.125 254)
-
Step 900
900
#174274
oklch(37.8% 0.098 254.5)
-
Step 950
950
#0F2744
oklch(27% 0.062 254.6)
#72AAEF 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) | #8EAEF2 | 0.035 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7FA1EE | 0.026 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2DBAC2 | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AAEF
#72AAEF
oklch(72.7% 0.117 254.3)
- #D29B4B
#D29B4B
oklch(72.7% 0.117 74.3)
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 #72AAEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.051
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.059
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.060
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.070
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.074
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.080
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.082
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.083
Use #72AAEF 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.