#72AFDD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73% 0.092 242.1), rgb(114, 175, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.89:1).
About this color
#72AFDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.092 and its hue 242°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.059 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.89:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.092) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.89:1 |
| White text | 2.36:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72AFDD |
| RGB | rgb(114, 175, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(206, 61%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73% 0.092 242.1) |
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 #72AFDD | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc -51.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72AFDD | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc 57.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AFDD text on white | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc 46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72AFDD text on black | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc -55.6 | 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
#F1F6FA
oklch(97.1% 0.008 241.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E1ECF4
oklch(93.7% 0.016 239.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DCED
oklch(88.5% 0.032 243.7)
-
Step 300
300
#A1C6E3
oklch(80.9% 0.057 242)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72AFDD
oklch(73% 0.092 242.1)
-
Step 500
500
#3E91CA
oklch(63.1% 0.117 242)
-
Step 600
600
#0F7AB7
oklch(55.6% 0.128 242.2)
-
Step 700
700
#00679D
oklch(49.2% 0.117 242)
-
Step 800
800
#075480
oklch(42.7% 0.099 242.2)
-
Step 900
900
#134667
oklch(37.8% 0.077 241.9)
-
Step 950
950
#0E293C
oklch(27% 0.048 242.2)
#72AFDD 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) | #9BAFDF | 0.048 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8DA4DC | 0.040 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3FBABE | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.092 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72AFDD
#72AFDD
oklch(73% 0.092 242.1)
- #D29B6A
#D29B6A
oklch(73.1% 0.092 62.3)
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 #72AFDD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.059
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.061
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.063
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.067
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.068
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.068
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.070
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.070
Use #72AFDD 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.