#72B2E2
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.9% 0.096 242.1), rgb(114, 178, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.18:1).
About this color
#72B2E2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 242°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.051 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.18:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.18:1 |
| White text | 2.28:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B2E2 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 178, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(206, 66%, 67%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.9% 0.096 242.1) |
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 #72B2E2 | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc -49.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B2E2 | 9.18:1 | AAA | Lc 59.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B2E2 text on white | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc 45.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B2E2 text on black | 9.18:1 | 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
#F1F6FA
oklch(97.1% 0.008 241.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E0ECF5
oklch(93.7% 0.018 240)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DCEE
oklch(88.4% 0.034 244)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC6E5
oklch(80.9% 0.061 242.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B2E2
oklch(73.9% 0.096 242.1)
-
Step 500
500
#3991CD
oklch(63.1% 0.123 242.3)
-
Step 600
600
#007AB9
oklch(55.5% 0.132 242.1)
-
Step 700
700
#00679D
oklch(49.2% 0.117 242)
-
Step 800
800
#005481
oklch(42.7% 0.101 241.9)
-
Step 900
900
#104668
oklch(37.8% 0.079 241.8)
-
Step 950
950
#0C293D
oklch(27% 0.051 242.2)
#72B2E2 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) | #9DB2E4 | 0.049 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EA6E1 | 0.042 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #39BEC2 | 0.079 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.096 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B2E2
#72B2E2
oklch(73.9% 0.096 242.1)
- #D69D6A
#D69D6A
oklch(73.9% 0.096 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 #72B2E2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.051
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.062
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.062
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.063
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.064
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.070
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.071
Use #72B2E2 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.