#72BAFD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.9% 0.121 248), rgb(114, 186, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.15:1).
About this color
#72BAFD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.121 and its hue 248°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.15:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.121) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.15:1 |
| White text | 2.06:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BAFD |
| RGB | rgb(114, 186, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 97%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.9% 0.121 248) |
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 #72BAFD | 2.06:1 | Fails | Lc -44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #72BAFD | 10.15:1 | AAA | Lc 63.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BAFD text on white | 2.06:1 | Fails | Lc 40.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BAFD text on black | 10.15:1 | AAA | Lc -62.1 | 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
#EEF7FF
oklch(97.2% 0.014 244.7)
-
Step 100
100
#DAECFF
oklch(93.6% 0.032 249.6)
-
Step 200
200
#BBDDFF
oklch(88.4% 0.059 248.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#72BAFD
oklch(76.9% 0.121 248)
-
Step 400
400
#3CA6FF
oklch(70.6% 0.161 248.1)
-
Step 500
500
#008EEA
oklch(63.2% 0.17 248)
-
Step 600
600
#0077C5
oklch(55.6% 0.149 247.9)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A7
oklch(49.1% 0.132 247.9)
-
Step 800
800
#00528A
oklch(42.8% 0.115 247.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004474
oklch(37.7% 0.101 247.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002848
oklch(27% 0.073 248.1)
#72BAFD 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) | #9EBCFF | 0.049 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CAEFC | 0.039 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CAD1 | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B4B4B4 | 0.121 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BAFD
#72BAFD
oklch(76.9% 0.121 248)
- #E6A459
#E6A459
oklch(76.7% 0.121 67.8)
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 #72BAFD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.025
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.044
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.049
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.052
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.055
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.056
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.062
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.064
Use #72BAFD 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.