#78B2EC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.6% 0.104 249.4), rgb(120, 178, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.37:1).
About this color
#78B2EC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 249°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.37:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.37:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #78B2EC |
| RGB | rgb(120, 178, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 75%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.6% 0.104 249.4) |
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 #78B2EC | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #78B2EC | 9.37:1 | AAA | Lc 60.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #78B2EC text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #78B2EC text on black | 9.37:1 | AAA | Lc -58.1 | 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
#E1EBF6
oklch(93.6% 0.018 250.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DCF1
oklch(88.6% 0.036 249.5)
-
Step 300
300
#A1C5E9
oklch(81% 0.064 248.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#78B2EC
oklch(74.6% 0.104 249.4)
-
Step 500
500
#418ED6
oklch(63.2% 0.133 249.4)
-
Step 600
600
#1976C3
oklch(55.5% 0.144 249.6)
-
Step 700
700
#0663A9
oklch(49.1% 0.135 249.6)
-
Step 800
800
#0D5189
oklch(42.7% 0.112 249.6)
-
Step 900
900
#16446D
oklch(37.8% 0.086 249.1)
-
Step 950
950
#0E2840
oklch(27% 0.055 249)
#78B2EC 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) | #9AB4EF | 0.040 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CA8EB | 0.032 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #40BFC6 | 0.089 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #78B2EC
#78B2EC
oklch(74.6% 0.104 249.4)
- #D7A161
#D7A161
oklch(74.6% 0.104 69.8)
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 #78B2EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.036
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.059
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.064
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.066
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.066
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.066
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.066
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.068
Use #78B2EC 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.