#72BDD4
Closest named color: Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9). oklch(75.8% 0.081 219.6), rgb(114, 189, 212).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.94:1).
About this color
#72BDD4 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.081 and its hue 220°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.94:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.081) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9) |
| Black text | 9.94:1 |
| White text | 2.11:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BDD4 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 189, 212) |
| HSL | hsl(194, 53%, 64%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.081 219.6) |
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 #72BDD4 | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc -45.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72BDD4 | 9.94:1 | AAA | Lc 62.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BDD4 text on white | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc 41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BDD4 text on black | 9.94:1 | AAA | Lc -61.0 | 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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F7F9
oklch(97.2% 0.007 219.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E0ECF1
oklch(93.6% 0.015 224.5)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DEE6
oklch(88.5% 0.028 219.8)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC9D7
oklch(80.9% 0.05 219.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72BDD4
oklch(75.8% 0.081 219.6)
-
Step 500
500
#2898B4
oklch(63.1% 0.104 219)
-
Step 600
600
#00809C
oklch(55.5% 0.101 220.3)
-
Step 700
700
#006C83
oklch(49.1% 0.089 219.3)
-
Step 800
800
#00586C
oklch(42.6% 0.078 220.2)
-
Step 900
900
#014A5A
oklch(37.8% 0.068 218.7)
-
Step 950
950
#072B35
oklch(26.9% 0.043 220.5)
#72BDD4 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) | #AFB9D5 | 0.070 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0ADD4 | 0.064 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #42C5C4 | 0.052 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.082 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BDD4
#72BDD4
oklch(75.8% 0.081 219.6)
- #DE9F8A
#DE9F8A
oklch(75.8% 0.081 39.2)
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 #72BDD4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.044
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.047
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.047
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.053
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.058
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.065
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.066
Use #72BDD4 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.