#72B4DC
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(74.1% 0.089 236.3), rgb(114, 180, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.27:1).
About this color
#72B4DC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.089 and its hue 236°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.057 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.27:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.089) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.27:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4DC |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 60%, 65%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.1% 0.089 236.3) |
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 #72B4DC | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4DC | 9.27:1 | AAA | Lc 59.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B4DC text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4DC text on black | 9.27:1 | AAA | Lc -57.6 | 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
#E0ECF3
oklch(93.6% 0.016 233)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DDEB
oklch(88.6% 0.03 235.7)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC7E0
oklch(80.9% 0.055 235.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4DC
oklch(74.1% 0.089 236.3)
-
Step 500
500
#3793C5
oklch(63.1% 0.114 236.6)
-
Step 600
600
#007CB0
oklch(55.5% 0.121 236.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006895
oklch(49% 0.107 237)
-
Step 800
800
#00557A
oklch(42.5% 0.092 236.4)
-
Step 900
900
#0E4763
oklch(37.7% 0.073 235.7)
-
Step 950
950
#0B2A3A
oklch(27.1% 0.047 234.9)
#72B4DC 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) | #A2B3DE | 0.055 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #93A7DB | 0.048 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3EBEC1 | 0.069 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.089 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4DC
#72B4DC
oklch(74.1% 0.089 236.3)
- #D79D73
#D79D73
oklch(74.2% 0.09 56.8)
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 #72B4DC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.057
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.058
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.059
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.060
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.066
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.066
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.067
Use #72B4DC 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.