#72BCFD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.3% 0.119 246.6), rgb(114, 188, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.32:1).
About this color
#72BCFD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.119 and its hue 247°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.32:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.119) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.32:1 |
| White text | 2.03:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BCFD |
| RGB | rgb(114, 188, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 97%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.119 246.6) |
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 #72BCFD | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc -43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #72BCFD | 10.32:1 | AAA | Lc 64.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BCFD text on white | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc 39.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BCFD text on black | 10.32:1 | AAA | Lc -63.0 | 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
#BADEFF
oklch(88.6% 0.059 246.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#72BCFD
oklch(77.3% 0.119 246.6)
-
Step 400
400
#35A7FF
oklch(70.7% 0.163 246.7)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE6
oklch(63.1% 0.164 246.6)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C2
oklch(55.6% 0.145 246.5)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A4
oklch(49.2% 0.127 246.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005288
oklch(42.7% 0.112 246.9)
-
Step 900
900
#004472
oklch(37.6% 0.099 246.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002846
oklch(26.9% 0.07 246.6)
#72BCFD 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) | #A0BEFF | 0.051 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EB0FC | 0.040 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00CBD2 | 0.101 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.120 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BCFD
#72BCFD
oklch(77.3% 0.119 246.6)
- #E8A55D
#E8A55D
oklch(77.2% 0.119 66.4)
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 #72BCFD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.026
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.039
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.044
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.051
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.052
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.054
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.057
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.060
Use #72BCFD 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.