#72AEFB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.2% 0.129 255.2), rgb(114, 174, 251).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.16:1).
About this color
#72AEFB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.129 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.040 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.16:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.129) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.16:1 |
| White text | 2.29:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AEFB |
| RGB | rgb(114, 174, 251) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 94%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.129 255.2) |
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 #72AEFB | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc -49.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AEFB | 9.16:1 | AAA | Lc 58.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AEFB text on white | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc 45.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AEFB text on black | 9.16:1 | AAA | Lc -57.1 | 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
#C6DBF7
oklch(88.5% 0.045 255.6)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC4F4
oklch(81% 0.08 254.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AEFB
oklch(74.2% 0.129 255.2)
-
Step 500
500
#3A8AEA
oklch(63.2% 0.164 255)
-
Step 600
600
#0D71D8
oklch(55.6% 0.178 255.2)
-
Step 700
700
#005EBA
oklch(49.1% 0.163 255.3)
-
Step 800
800
#064D98
oklch(42.7% 0.138 255.4)
-
Step 900
900
#124179
oklch(37.7% 0.108 255.4)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2747
oklch(27.1% 0.068 254.6)
#72AEFB 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) | #8FB2FE | 0.035 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7DA5F9 | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #13BFC9 | 0.114 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.129 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AEFB
#72AEFB
oklch(74.2% 0.129 255.2)
- #DA9F42
#DA9F42
oklch(74.2% 0.128 75.5)
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 #72AEFB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.040
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.060
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.064
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.070
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.075
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.075
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.080
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.082
Use #72AEFB 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.