#72B2E8
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.2% 0.102 245.2), rgb(114, 178, 232).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.24:1).
About this color
#72B2E8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.102 and its hue 245°. 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 9.24:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.102) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.24:1 |
| White text | 2.27:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B2E8 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 178, 232) |
| HSL | hsl(207, 72%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.102 245.2) |
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 #72B2E8 | 2.27:1 | Fails | Lc -49.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B2E8 | 9.24:1 | AAA | Lc 59.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B2E8 text on white | 2.27:1 | Fails | Lc 44.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B2E8 text on black | 9.24:1 | AAA | Lc -57.5 | 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
#E0EBF6
oklch(93.5% 0.019 248)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DCF0
oklch(88.4% 0.036 245.7)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC6E8
oklch(81% 0.064 245)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B2E8
oklch(74.2% 0.102 245.2)
-
Step 500
500
#3890D3
oklch(63.2% 0.131 245.2)
-
Step 600
600
#0079BF
oklch(55.7% 0.14 245)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A2
oklch(49% 0.125 245.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005386
oklch(42.8% 0.108 245.3)
-
Step 900
900
#0F456C
oklch(37.8% 0.086 245.4)
-
Step 950
950
#0C293F
oklch(27.1% 0.054 244.7)
#72B2E8 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) | #9BB3EB | 0.047 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CA7E7 | 0.038 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #33BFC4 | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.103 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B2E8
#72B2E8
oklch(74.2% 0.102 245.2)
- #D89E63
#D89E63
oklch(74.2% 0.103 65.6)
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 #72B2E8, 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 0.061
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.061
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.067
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.069
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.069
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.074
Use #72B2E8 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.