#74A8EC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(72.3% 0.114 255.5), rgb(116, 168, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.55:1).
About this color
#74A8EC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.055 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.55:1 |
| White text | 2.45:1 |
Values
| HEX | #74A8EC |
| RGB | rgb(116, 168, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 76%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.3% 0.114 255.5) |
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 #74A8EC | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc -53.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #74A8EC | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc 55.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #74A8EC text on white | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc 48.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #74A8EC text on black | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc -53.8 | 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
#F1F6FC
oklch(97.1% 0.01 252.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBF8
oklch(93.6% 0.021 254.9)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DBF4
oklch(88.5% 0.04 255.3)
-
Step 300
300
#A2C3EF
oklch(80.8% 0.072 255.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#74A8EC
oklch(72.3% 0.114 255.5)
-
Step 500
500
#478ADF
oklch(63% 0.146 255.5)
-
Step 600
600
#2672CD
oklch(55.5% 0.159 255.5)
-
Step 700
700
#185FB2
oklch(49% 0.148 255.7)
-
Step 800
800
#174E90
oklch(42.6% 0.123 255.6)
-
Step 900
900
#1A4273
oklch(37.8% 0.095 255.2)
-
Step 950
950
#112743
oklch(27.1% 0.059 255.4)
#74A8EC 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) | #8DACEF | 0.032 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #7EA0EB | 0.022 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #38B7C0 | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #74A8EC
#74A8EC
oklch(72.3% 0.114 255.5)
- #CF9B4C
#CF9B4C
oklch(72.3% 0.114 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 #74A8EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.055
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.057
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.057
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.072
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.075
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.075
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.079
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.084
Use #74A8EC 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.