#72B4EE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.9% 0.108 246.4), rgb(114, 180, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.47:1).
About this color
#72B4EE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.108 and its hue 246°. 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 9.47:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.108) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.47:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4EE |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 78%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.9% 0.108 246.4) |
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 #72B4EE | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4EE | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc 60.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B4EE text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4EE text on black | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc -58.7 | 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
#F1F6FB
oklch(97.1% 0.009 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBF7
oklch(93.5% 0.02 250.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DCF1
oklch(88.5% 0.037 247)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC6EA
oklch(81% 0.067 245.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4EE
oklch(74.9% 0.108 246.4)
-
Step 500
500
#338FD7
oklch(63% 0.138 246.4)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C2
oklch(55.6% 0.145 246.5)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A4
oklch(49.2% 0.127 246.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005287
oklch(42.6% 0.111 246.5)
-
Step 900
900
#0C456E
oklch(37.8% 0.089 246)
-
Step 950
950
#0A2840
oklch(26.8% 0.057 246.4)
#72B4EE 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) | #9CB5F1 | 0.048 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8BA9ED | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2AC2C8 | 0.092 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.108 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4EE
#72B4EE
oklch(74.9% 0.108 246.4)
- #DCA060
#DCA060
oklch(75% 0.108 66.7)
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 #72B4EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.037
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.055
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.057
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.060
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.063
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.068
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.068
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.069
Use #72B4EE 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.