#72B4E6
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.5% 0.099 242.4), rgb(114, 180, 230).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.38:1).
About this color
#72B4E6 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.099 and its hue 242°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.046 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.38:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.099) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.38:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4E6 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 230) |
| HSL | hsl(206, 70%, 67%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.5% 0.099 242.4) |
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 #72B4E6 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4E6 | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc 60.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B4E6 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4E6 text on black | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc -58.2 | 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
#E0ECF5
oklch(93.7% 0.018 240)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DCEE
oklch(88.4% 0.034 242.7)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC6E6
oklch(80.9% 0.062 242.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4E6
oklch(74.5% 0.099 242.4)
-
Step 500
500
#3591CF
oklch(63.1% 0.126 242.4)
-
Step 600
600
#007ABA
oklch(55.6% 0.133 242.5)
-
Step 700
700
#00669D
oklch(49% 0.118 242.7)
-
Step 800
800
#005482
oklch(42.8% 0.102 242.4)
-
Step 900
900
#0D4669
oklch(37.8% 0.082 241.8)
-
Step 950
950
#0B293E
oklch(27% 0.053 242.9)
#72B4E6 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) | #9EB4E8 | 0.050 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FA8E5 | 0.042 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #34C0C5 | 0.081 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.099 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4E6
#72B4E6
oklch(74.5% 0.099 242.4)
- #D99E69
#D99E69
oklch(74.4% 0.099 62.3)
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 #72B4E6, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.046
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.056
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.060
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.062
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.063
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.072
Use #72B4E6 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.