#72B2FD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.1% 0.127 253.3), rgb(114, 178, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.50:1).
About this color
#72B2FD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.127 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.50:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.127) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.50:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B2FD |
| RGB | rgb(114, 178, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 97%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.1% 0.127 253.3) |
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 #72B2FD | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B2FD | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc 60.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B2FD text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B2FD text on black | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc -58.8 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEBF9
oklch(93.5% 0.023 252.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C5DBF6
oklch(88.4% 0.044 253.6)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC4F3
oklch(80.9% 0.079 253.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B2FD
oklch(75.1% 0.127 253.3)
-
Step 500
500
#348BE8
oklch(63.1% 0.162 253.1)
-
Step 600
600
#0073D4
oklch(55.6% 0.172 253.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0060B4
oklch(49.1% 0.153 253.4)
-
Step 800
800
#004E95
oklch(42.6% 0.134 253.6)
-
Step 900
900
#0D4278
oklch(37.8% 0.106 253.3)
-
Step 950
950
#0A2746
oklch(27% 0.067 252.9)
#72B2FD 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) | #93B6FF | 0.039 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #81A8FB | 0.028 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #05C3CC | 0.112 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.127 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B2FD
#72B2FD
oklch(75.1% 0.127 253.3)
- #DFA148
#DFA148
oklch(75.2% 0.128 73.3)
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 #72B2FD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.032
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.059
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.065
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.068
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.069
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.070
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.073
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.080
Use #72B2FD 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.