#72ABFF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.8% 0.136 257.9), rgb(114, 171, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.98:1).
About this color
#72ABFF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.136 and its hue 258°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.046 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.98:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.136) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.98:1 |
| White text | 2.33:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72ABFF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 171, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 100%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.8% 0.136 257.9) |
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 #72ABFF | 2.33:1 | Fails | Lc -50.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72ABFF | 8.98:1 | AAA | Lc 58.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72ABFF text on white | 2.33:1 | Fails | Lc 45.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72ABFF text on black | 8.98:1 | AAA | Lc -56.2 | 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
#E0EBFB
oklch(93.7% 0.025 257.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF9
oklch(88.5% 0.047 257.3)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC3F8
oklch(81% 0.085 257.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72ABFF
oklch(73.8% 0.136 257.9)
-
Step 500
500
#3E87F0
oklch(63.1% 0.174 257.9)
-
Step 600
600
#186EDF
oklch(55.6% 0.189 257.9)
-
Step 700
700
#075BC2
oklch(49.1% 0.177 258)
-
Step 800
800
#0D4B9D
oklch(42.7% 0.146 258)
-
Step 900
900
#14407C
oklch(37.8% 0.113 257.5)
-
Step 950
950
#0D2649
oklch(27.1% 0.072 257.4)
#72ABFF 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) | #89B1FF | 0.032 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #77A3FD | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #04BEC9 | 0.122 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.136 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72ABFF
#72ABFF
oklch(73.8% 0.136 257.9)
- #D99E33
#D99E33
oklch(73.8% 0.137 77.9)
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 #72ABFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.046
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.053
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.064
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.070
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.077
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.081
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.083
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.085
Use #72ABFF 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.