#73AEFD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.3% 0.131 256.1), rgb(115, 174, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.20:1).
About this color
#73AEFD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.131 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.039 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.20:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.131) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.20:1 |
| White text | 2.28:1 |
Values
| HEX | #73AEFD |
| RGB | rgb(115, 174, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 97%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.3% 0.131 256.1) |
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 #73AEFD | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc -49.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #73AEFD | 9.20:1 | AAA | Lc 59.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #73AEFD text on white | 2.28:1 | Fails | Lc 44.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #73AEFD text on black | 9.20:1 | AAA | Lc -57.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBFA
oklch(93.6% 0.024 256.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF7
oklch(88.5% 0.045 255.6)
-
Step 300
300
#9EC3F5
oklch(80.8% 0.082 256.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#73AEFD
oklch(74.3% 0.131 256.1)
-
Step 500
500
#3C89EC
oklch(63.2% 0.167 256.1)
-
Step 600
600
#1270DA
oklch(55.6% 0.181 256.1)
-
Step 700
700
#005DBD
oklch(49.1% 0.169 256.1)
-
Step 800
800
#084D99
oklch(42.8% 0.139 255.9)
-
Step 900
900
#13417A
oklch(37.8% 0.109 256)
-
Step 950
950
#0D2647
oklch(26.9% 0.069 256.4)
#73AEFD 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) | #8EB3FF | 0.034 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7DA6FB | 0.022 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #14C0CA | 0.116 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.131 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #73AEFD
#73AEFD
oklch(74.3% 0.131 256.1)
- #DB9F3F
#DB9F3F
oklch(74.3% 0.131 75.6)
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 #73AEFD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.039
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.059
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.065
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.071
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.074
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.076
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.080
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.083
Use #73AEFD 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.