#72B1DC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.4% 0.09 239.5), rgb(114, 177, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.03:1).
About this color
#72B1DC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 239°. 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 9.03:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.03:1 |
| White text | 2.32:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B1DC |
| RGB | rgb(114, 177, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(204, 60%, 65%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.4% 0.09 239.5) |
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 #72B1DC | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc -50.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B1DC | 9.03:1 | AAA | Lc 58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B1DC text on white | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc 45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B1DC text on black | 9.03:1 | AAA | Lc -56.4 | 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
#C7DDEC
oklch(88.6% 0.031 237.6)
-
Step 300
300
#A0C6E2
oklch(80.8% 0.057 240.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B1DC
oklch(73.4% 0.09 239.5)
-
Step 500
500
#3B92C7
oklch(63.1% 0.115 239.2)
-
Step 600
600
#047BB4
oklch(55.5% 0.125 239.5)
-
Step 700
700
#006899
oklch(49.2% 0.111 239.3)
-
Step 800
800
#01557E
oklch(42.8% 0.096 239.3)
-
Step 900
900
#114665
oklch(37.6% 0.075 239.6)
-
Step 950
950
#0D293B
oklch(26.9% 0.047 240.1)
#72B1DC 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) | #9EB0DE | 0.051 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90A5DB | 0.044 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3FBCBF | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B1DC
#72B1DC
oklch(73.4% 0.09 239.5)
- #D39B6E
#D39B6E
oklch(73.3% 0.09 59.5)
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 #72B1DC, 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 0.062
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.062
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.063
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.065
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.067
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.067
Use #72B1DC 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.