#72B8EA
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.6% 0.101 241), rgb(114, 184, 234).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.75:1).
About this color
#72B8EA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.101 and its hue 241°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.041 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.75:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.101) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.75:1 |
| White text | 2.15:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72B8EA |
| RGB | rgb(114, 184, 234) |
| HSL | hsl(205, 74%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.6% 0.101 241) |
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 #72B8EA | 2.15:1 | Fails | Lc -46.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72B8EA | 9.75:1 | AAA | Lc 61.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72B8EA text on white | 2.15:1 | Fails | Lc 42.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72B8EA text on black | 9.75:1 | AAA | Lc -60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
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
#C5DDEF
oklch(88.5% 0.036 240.3)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC7E6
oklch(81% 0.063 240.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72B8EA
oklch(75.6% 0.101 241)
-
Step 500
500
#2D92D0
oklch(63.2% 0.129 240.9)
-
Step 600
600
#007BB7
oklch(55.7% 0.129 240.7)
-
Step 700
700
#00679B
oklch(49.1% 0.115 241)
-
Step 800
800
#005480
oklch(42.6% 0.1 241.3)
-
Step 900
900
#06466A
oklch(37.7% 0.085 241.2)
-
Step 950
950
#09293E
oklch(27% 0.054 241.8)
#72B8EA 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) | #A2B8EC | 0.054 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92ABE9 | 0.046 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2EC4C9 | 0.082 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.101 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72B8EA
#72B8EA
oklch(75.6% 0.101 241)
- #DFA16C
#DFA16C
oklch(75.7% 0.101 60.9)
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 #72B8EA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.041
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.045
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.049
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.055
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.056
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.058
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.059
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.066
Use #72B8EA 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.