#72AAFA
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.3% 0.131 257.3), rgb(114, 170, 250).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.84:1).
About this color
#72AAFA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.131 and its hue 257°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.048 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.84:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.131) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.84:1 |
| White text | 2.37:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AAFA |
| RGB | rgb(114, 170, 250) |
| HSL | hsl(215, 93%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.131 257.3) |
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 #72AAFA | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc -51.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AAFA | 8.84:1 | AAA | Lc 57.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAFA text on white | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc 46.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AAFA text on black | 8.84:1 | AAA | Lc -55.4 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBFA
oklch(93.6% 0.024 256.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DBF8
oklch(88.6% 0.046 257.6)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC3F6
oklch(80.9% 0.082 257.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AAFA
oklch(73.3% 0.131 257.3)
-
Step 500
500
#4088EC
oklch(63.1% 0.167 257.3)
-
Step 600
600
#1B6FDB
oklch(55.6% 0.183 257.4)
-
Step 700
700
#0C5CBE
oklch(49.1% 0.17 257.5)
-
Step 800
800
#0F4C9A
oklch(42.8% 0.141 257.3)
-
Step 900
900
#16407A
oklch(37.7% 0.109 257.5)
-
Step 950
950
#0E2647
oklch(27% 0.068 257.1)
#72AAFA 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) | #8AAFFD | 0.031 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #79A2F8 | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #19BCC7 | 0.116 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.131 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AAFA
#72AAFA
oklch(73.3% 0.131 257.3)
- #D69D3A
#D69D3A
oklch(73.3% 0.131 77.5)
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 #72AAFA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.048
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.052
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.060
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.071
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.074
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.080
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.083
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.085
Use #72AAFA 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.