#72BEC5
Closest named color: Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9). oklch(75.5% 0.076 203.2), rgb(114, 190, 197).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.88:1).
About this color
#72BEC5 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.076 and its hue 203°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9), ΔE 0.053 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.88:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.076) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Cornflower Blue (#98C1D9) |
| Black text | 9.88:1 |
| White text | 2.12:1 |
Values
| HEX | #72BEC5 |
| RGB | rgb(114, 190, 197) |
| HSL | hsl(185, 42%, 61%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.5% 0.076 203.2) |
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 #72BEC5 | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc -46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #72BEC5 | 9.88:1 | AAA | Lc 62.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #72BEC5 text on white | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc 41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #72BEC5 text on black | 9.88:1 | AAA | Lc -60.7 | 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
#F1F7F7
oklch(97.2% 0.006 197.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EDEE
oklch(93.7% 0.014 202.5)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DFE1
oklch(88.6% 0.027 202.5)
-
Step 300
300
#9DCACE
oklch(80.8% 0.048 203)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#72BEC5
oklch(75.5% 0.076 203.2)
-
Step 500
500
#299AA4
oklch(63% 0.097 203.9)
-
Step 600
600
#00838C
oklch(55.6% 0.095 203.3)
-
Step 700
700
#006E76
oklch(49.1% 0.084 203.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005A61
oklch(42.6% 0.073 204)
-
Step 900
900
#024B51
oklch(37.7% 0.063 204.1)
-
Step 950
950
#082C2F
oklch(27% 0.04 203.1)
#72BEC5 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) | #B3B8C6 | 0.076 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A5ADC5 | 0.071 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #4CC3C0 | 0.034 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.077 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #72BEC5
#72BEC5
oklch(75.5% 0.076 203.2)
- #DC9D99
#DC9D99
oklch(75.5% 0.076 23.1)
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 #72BEC5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.053
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.055
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.055
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.055
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.059
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.062
- Seafoam Blue #78D1B6 ΔE 0.065
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.067
Use #72BEC5 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.