#72BAED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.1% 0.103 240.8), rgb(114, 186, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.96:1).
About this color
#72BAED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.103 and its hue 241°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.96:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.103) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.96:1 |
| White text | 2.10:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BAED |
| RGB | rgb(114, 186, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(205, 77%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.1% 0.103 240.8) |
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 #72BAED | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc -45.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72BAED | 9.96:1 | AAA | Lc 62.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BAED text on white | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc 41.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BAED text on black | 9.96:1 | AAA | Lc -61.1 | 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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#EEF7FE
oklch(97.1% 0.013 241)
-
Step 100
100
#D9EDFC
oklch(93.6% 0.029 240.2)
-
Step 200
200
#B8DFFC
oklch(88.5% 0.057 240.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#72BAED
oklch(76.1% 0.103 240.8)
-
Step 400
400
#00ABFC
oklch(70.8% 0.164 240.7)
-
Step 500
500
#0092D9
oklch(63.1% 0.147 241)
-
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
#00466B
oklch(37.7% 0.087 240.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002942
oklch(26.9% 0.063 241.6)
#72BAED 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) | #A4BAEF | 0.056 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #93ADEC | 0.046 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #29C7CB | 0.085 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.103 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BAED
#72BAED
oklch(76.1% 0.103 240.8)
- #E2A26C
#E2A26C
oklch(76.2% 0.103 60.5)
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 #72BAED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.038
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.040
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.045
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.049
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.054
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.056
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.058
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.060
Use #72BAED 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.