#72B0EB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.9% 0.107 248.3), rgb(114, 176, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.12:1).
About this color
#72B0EB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.107 and its hue 248°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.12:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.107) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.12:1 |
| White text | 2.30:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B0EB |
| RGB | rgb(114, 176, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 75%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.9% 0.107 248.3) |
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 #72B0EB | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc -50.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B0EB | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc 58.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B0EB text on white | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc 45.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B0EB text on black | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc -56.8 | 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
#F1F6FB
oklch(97.1% 0.009 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBF7
oklch(93.5% 0.02 250.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DCF1
oklch(88.5% 0.037 248.2)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC5EB
oklch(80.9% 0.068 248.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B0EB
oklch(73.9% 0.107 248.3)
-
Step 500
500
#3A8ED8
oklch(63% 0.138 248.5)
-
Step 600
600
#0577C5
oklch(55.6% 0.149 248.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A8
oklch(49.2% 0.133 248.3)
-
Step 800
800
#02528A
oklch(42.8% 0.114 248)
-
Step 900
900
#11446E
oklch(37.7% 0.089 248.1)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2841
oklch(27% 0.058 248.6)
#72B0EB 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) | #98B2EE | 0.044 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #88A5EA | 0.035 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #30BEC4 | 0.092 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.107 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B0EB
#72B0EB
oklch(73.9% 0.107 248.3)
- #D79D5C
#D79D5C
oklch(73.8% 0.107 68)
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 #72B0EB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.044
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.062
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.066
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.069
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.073
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.074
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.075
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.075
Use #72B0EB 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.