#72BCFB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.2% 0.117 245.8), rgb(114, 188, 251).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.30:1).
About this color
#72BCFB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.117 and its hue 246°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.30:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.117) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.30:1 |
| White text | 2.03:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BCFB |
| RGB | rgb(114, 188, 251) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 94%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.2% 0.117 245.8) |
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 #72BCFB | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc -44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #72BCFB | 10.30:1 | AAA | Lc 64.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BCFB text on white | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc 39.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BCFB text on black | 10.30:1 | AAA | Lc -62.8 | 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
#D9EDFF
oklch(93.7% 0.032 245.3)
-
Step 200
200
#B9DEFF
oklch(88.5% 0.06 245.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#72BCFB
oklch(77.2% 0.117 245.8)
-
Step 400
400
#30A8FF
oklch(70.8% 0.163 245.7)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE4
oklch(63% 0.162 246)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C0
oklch(55.5% 0.142 245.8)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A3
oklch(49.1% 0.126 245.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005386
oklch(42.8% 0.108 245.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004571
oklch(37.8% 0.096 245.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002846
oklch(26.9% 0.07 246.6)
#72BCFB 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) | #A1BDFE | 0.052 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FAFFA | 0.043 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #01CBD2 | 0.099 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BCFB
#72BCFB
oklch(77.2% 0.117 245.8)
- #E8A55F
#E8A55F
oklch(77.2% 0.118 65.7)
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 #72BCFB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.027
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.038
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.043
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.050
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.052
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.054
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.056
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.060
Use #72BCFB 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.