#72B3EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.7% 0.11 247.6), rgb(114, 179, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.40:1).
About this color
#72B3EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.110 and its hue 248°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.40:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.110) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.40:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B3EF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 179, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 80%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.7% 0.11 247.6) |
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 #72B3EF | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B3EF | 9.40:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B3EF text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B3EF text on black | 9.40:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | 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
#C6DCF2
oklch(88.5% 0.038 248.3)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC5EB
oklch(80.8% 0.068 248)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B3EF
oklch(74.7% 0.11 247.6)
-
Step 500
500
#358FD9
oklch(63.2% 0.14 247.4)
-
Step 600
600
#0077C5
oklch(55.6% 0.149 247.9)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A6
oklch(49.1% 0.131 247.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005289
oklch(42.7% 0.113 247.3)
-
Step 900
900
#0D446F
oklch(37.6% 0.091 247.7)
-
Step 950
950
#0B2841
oklch(26.9% 0.058 248)
#72B3EF 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) | #9AB5F2 | 0.046 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8AA8EE | 0.036 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #29C1C8 | 0.093 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.110 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B3EF
#72B3EF
oklch(74.7% 0.11 247.6)
- #DB9F5D
#DB9F5D
oklch(74.6% 0.11 67.4)
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 #72B3EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.037
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.057
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.058
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.069
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.071
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.071
Use #72B3EF 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.