#72B4DE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.2% 0.091 237.7), rgb(114, 180, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.29:1).
About this color
#72B4DE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.091 and its hue 238°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.055 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.29:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.091) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.29:1 |
| White text | 2.25:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4DE |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 62%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.091 237.7) |
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 #72B4DE | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc -49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4DE | 9.29:1 | AAA | Lc 59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B4DE text on white | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc 44.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4DE text on black | 9.29:1 | AAA | Lc -57.7 | 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
#E0ECF4
oklch(93.6% 0.017 236.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DDEC
oklch(88.6% 0.031 237.6)
-
Step 300
300
#9FC7E1
oklch(81% 0.056 236.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4DE
oklch(74.2% 0.091 237.7)
-
Step 500
500
#3693C7
oklch(63.2% 0.116 237.4)
-
Step 600
600
#007CB2
oklch(55.6% 0.123 237.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006896
oklch(49.1% 0.108 237.6)
-
Step 800
800
#00557C
oklch(42.7% 0.094 237.9)
-
Step 900
900
#0E4765
oklch(37.8% 0.076 237.6)
-
Step 950
950
#0B2A3B
oklch(27.1% 0.048 236.5)
#72B4DE 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) | #A1B3E0 | 0.054 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92A7DD | 0.047 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3CBFC2 | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.091 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4DE
#72B4DE
oklch(74.2% 0.091 237.7)
- #D79D71
#D79D71
oklch(74.1% 0.091 58)
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 #72B4DE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.055
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.058
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.059
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.060
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.065
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.068
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.068
Use #72B4DE 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.