#73B8EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.8% 0.106 243.9), rgb(115, 184, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.83:1).
About this color
#73B8EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.106 and its hue 244°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.034 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.83:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.106) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.83:1 |
| White text | 2.13:1 |
Values
| HEX | #73B8EF |
| RGB | rgb(115, 184, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(207, 79%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.106 243.9) |
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 #73B8EF | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc -46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #73B8EF | 9.83:1 | AAA | Lc 62.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #73B8EF text on white | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc 41.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #73B8EF text on black | 9.83:1 | AAA | Lc -60.5 | 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
#D9EDFD
oklch(93.6% 0.03 242)
-
Step 200
200
#B9DEFE
oklch(88.5% 0.059 244.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#73B8EF
oklch(75.8% 0.106 243.9)
-
Step 400
400
#20A9FF
oklch(70.7% 0.165 243.8)
-
Step 500
500
#0091DF
oklch(63.2% 0.154 243.6)
-
Step 600
600
#0079BD
oklch(55.5% 0.138 244.2)
-
Step 700
700
#00669F
oklch(49.1% 0.12 243.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005384
oklch(42.6% 0.106 244.3)
-
Step 900
900
#00456F
oklch(37.6% 0.093 244.3)
-
Step 950
950
#002944
oklch(27% 0.066 243.6)
#73B8EF 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) | #A0B8F2 | 0.051 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90ACEE | 0.042 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #2BC5CB | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.106 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #73B8EF
#73B8EF
oklch(75.8% 0.106 243.9)
- #E0A266
#E0A266
oklch(75.9% 0.106 64.1)
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 #73B8EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.034
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.044
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.051
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.053
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.055
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.061
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.062
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.062
Use #73B8EF 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.