#72AEFD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.3% 0.131 255.7), rgb(114, 174, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.18:1).
About this color
#72AEFD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.131 and its hue 256°. 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 9.18:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.131) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.18:1 |
| White text | 2.28:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AEFD |
| RGB | rgb(114, 174, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 97%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.3% 0.131 255.7) |
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 #72AEFD | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc -49.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AEFD | 9.18:1 | AAA | Lc 59.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AEFD text on white | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc 44.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72AEFD text on black | 9.18:1 | AAA | Lc -57.2 | 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
#E0EBFA
oklch(93.6% 0.024 256.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF8
oklch(88.5% 0.046 256.5)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC3F5
oklch(80.8% 0.082 256.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AEFD
oklch(74.3% 0.131 255.7)
-
Step 500
500
#3A89EC
oklch(63.1% 0.168 255.8)
-
Step 600
600
#0D70DA
oklch(55.5% 0.182 255.8)
-
Step 700
700
#005EBC
oklch(49.2% 0.166 255.7)
-
Step 800
800
#064D99
oklch(42.8% 0.14 255.7)
-
Step 900
900
#12417A
oklch(37.8% 0.109 255.8)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2647
oklch(26.9% 0.069 255.8)
#72AEFD 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) | #8EB3FF | 0.035 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7CA5FB | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #0AC0CA | 0.117 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.131 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AEFD
#72AEFD
oklch(74.3% 0.131 255.7)
- #DB9F3F
#DB9F3F
oklch(74.3% 0.131 75.6)
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 #72AEFD, 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 0.065
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.070
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.075
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.076
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.080
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.083
Use #72AEFD 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.