#72B4FF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.7% 0.128 252.6), rgb(114, 180, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.68:1).
About this color
#72B4FF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.128 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.68:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.128) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.68:1 |
| White text | 2.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B4FF |
| RGB | rgb(114, 180, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 100%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.7% 0.128 252.6) |
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 #72B4FF | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc -47.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B4FF | 9.68:1 | AAA | Lc 61.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B4FF text on white | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc 42.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B4FF text on black | 9.68:1 | AAA | Lc -59.8 | 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
#F0F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 252.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEBF9
oklch(93.5% 0.023 252.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C5DCF6
oklch(88.6% 0.044 251.5)
-
Step 300
300
#9CC4F4
oklch(80.9% 0.081 253.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B4FF
oklch(75.7% 0.128 252.6)
-
Step 500
500
#318BE9
oklch(63.1% 0.164 252.9)
-
Step 600
600
#0073D2
oklch(55.5% 0.17 252.7)
-
Step 700
700
#0061B2
oklch(49.2% 0.149 252.5)
-
Step 800
800
#004F93
oklch(42.7% 0.13 252.6)
-
Step 900
900
#0A4278
oklch(37.7% 0.107 252.7)
-
Step 950
950
#092746
oklch(26.9% 0.068 252.4)
#72B4FF 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) | #95B8FF | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #83AAFD | 0.029 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5CE | 0.112 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.128 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B4FF
#72B4FF
oklch(75.7% 0.128 252.6)
- #E1A249
#E1A249
oklch(75.6% 0.128 72.9)
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 #72B4FF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.029
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.057
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.061
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.064
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.070
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.073
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.076
Use #72B4FF 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.