#74BDFF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.7% 0.12 247.3), rgb(116, 189, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.46:1).
About this color
#74BDFF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 247°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.46:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.46:1 |
| White text | 2.00:1 |
Values
| HEX | #74BDFF |
| RGB | rgb(116, 189, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 100%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.7% 0.12 247.3) |
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 #74BDFF | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc -43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #74BDFF | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc 65.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #74BDFF text on white | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc 38.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #74BDFF text on black | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc -63.6 | 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
#D9ECFF
oklch(93.5% 0.033 248.2)
-
Step 200
200
#BBDEFF
oklch(88.6% 0.059 246.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#74BDFF
oklch(77.7% 0.12 247.3)
-
Step 400
400
#39A7FF
oklch(70.8% 0.161 247.2)
-
Step 500
500
#008EE8
oklch(63% 0.168 247.5)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C4
oklch(55.7% 0.147 247.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A6
oklch(49.1% 0.131 247.6)
-
Step 800
800
#005289
oklch(42.7% 0.113 247.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004473
oklch(37.7% 0.1 247.4)
-
Step 950
950
#002847
oklch(27% 0.072 247.4)
#74BDFF 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) | #A1BFFF | 0.050 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FB1FE | 0.039 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #05CDD4 | 0.103 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.120 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #74BDFF
#74BDFF
oklch(77.7% 0.12 247.3)
- #E9A75D
#E9A75D
oklch(77.7% 0.12 67.6)
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 #74BDFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.024
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.037
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.041
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.051
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.052
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.054
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.054
- Bright Sky Blue #02CCFE ΔE 0.061
Use #74BDFF 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.