#72B4DF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.2% 0.092 238.3), rgb(114, 180, 223).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.30:1).
About this color
#72B4DF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.092 and its hue 238°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.054 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.30:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.092) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.30:1 |
| White text | 2.25:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4DF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(204, 63%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.092 238.3) |
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 #72B4DF | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc -49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4DF | 9.30:1 | AAA | Lc 59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #72B4DF text on white | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc 44.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4DF text on black | 9.30:1 | AAA | Lc -57.8 | 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
#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
#9FC7E2
oklch(81% 0.057 237.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4DF
oklch(74.2% 0.092 238.3)
-
Step 500
500
#3692C8
oklch(63% 0.118 238.7)
-
Step 600
600
#007CB3
oklch(55.7% 0.124 238.2)
-
Step 700
700
#006897
oklch(49.1% 0.109 238.1)
-
Step 800
800
#00557D
oklch(42.7% 0.096 238.5)
-
Step 900
900
#0D4765
oklch(37.8% 0.076 237.3)
-
Step 950
950
#0B293B
oklch(26.8% 0.049 238.8)
#72B4DF 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) | #A1B3E1 | 0.054 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92A8DE | 0.045 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #3BBFC2 | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.092 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4DF
#72B4DF
oklch(74.2% 0.092 238.3)
- #D79D70
#D79D70
oklch(74.1% 0.092 58.5)
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 #72B4DF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.054
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 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 0.069
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.069
Use #72B4DF 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.