#73B6EC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.3% 0.104 244.1), rgb(115, 182, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.63:1).
About this color
#73B6EC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 244°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.63:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.63:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #73B6EC |
| RGB | rgb(115, 182, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(207, 76%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.3% 0.104 244.1) |
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 #73B6EC | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #73B6EC | 9.63:1 | AAA | Lc 61.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #73B6EC text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #73B6EC text on black | 9.63:1 | AAA | Lc -59.4 | 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
#F1F6FB
oklch(97.1% 0.009 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E0ECF6
oklch(93.7% 0.019 243)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DCF0
oklch(88.4% 0.036 245.7)
-
Step 300
300
#9DC6E8
oklch(80.9% 0.065 243.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#73B6EC
oklch(75.3% 0.104 244.1)
-
Step 500
500
#3290D3
oklch(63% 0.133 244.2)
-
Step 600
600
#0079BD
oklch(55.5% 0.138 244.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0066A0
oklch(49.2% 0.121 244)
-
Step 800
800
#005384
oklch(42.6% 0.106 244.3)
-
Step 900
900
#0B456C
oklch(37.7% 0.087 244.5)
-
Step 950
950
#0A293F
oklch(27.1% 0.054 243.5)
#73B6EC 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) | #9FB7EF | 0.050 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FAAEB | 0.041 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #30C3C8 | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #73B6EC
#73B6EC
oklch(75.3% 0.104 244.1)
- #DDA066
#DDA066
oklch(75.2% 0.104 63.7)
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 #73B6EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.038
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.050
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.055
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.057
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.058
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.062
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.062
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.065
Use #73B6EC 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.