#81DCED
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(84.4% 0.09 210.9), rgb(129, 220, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.39:1).
About this color
#81DCED is a light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 84%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 211°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sky Blue (#87CEEB), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.39:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (84%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 13.39:1 |
| White text | 1.56:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81DCED |
| RGB | rgb(129, 220, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 75%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(84.4% 0.09 210.9) |
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 #81DCED | 1.56:1 | Fails | Lc -29.2 | Dividers and decoration only |
| Black text on #81DCED | 13.39:1 | AAA | Lc 78.0 | Fine for body text |
| #81DCED text on white | 1.56:1 | Fails | Lc 25.8 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #81DCED text on black | 13.39:1 | AAA | Lc -77.3 | Fine for body text |
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
#EDF8FA
oklch(97.1% 0.012 209.8)
-
Step 100
100
#D7EFF4
oklch(93.6% 0.026 211.6)
-
Step 200
200
#B4E3EC
oklch(88.6% 0.05 210.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81DCED
oklch(84.4% 0.09 210.9)
-
Step 400
400
#00B4CC
oklch(70.6% 0.123 211.4)
-
Step 500
500
#009BAF
oklch(63.2% 0.11 210.8)
-
Step 600
600
#008293
oklch(55.6% 0.096 210.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006D7C
oklch(49% 0.085 211.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005966
oklch(42.6% 0.074 211.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004B55
oklch(37.8% 0.065 210)
-
Step 950
950
#002C33
oklch(26.9% 0.047 211.1)
#81DCED 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) | #CDD6EE | 0.084 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BCC9ED | 0.077 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #4AE4E1 | 0.049 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CECECE | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81DCED
#81DCED
oklch(84.4% 0.09 210.9)
- #FFB7AA
#FFB7AA
oklch(84.3% 0.086 30.4)
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 #81DCED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.037
- Celeste #A8DADC ΔE 0.042
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.044
- Robin's Egg #6DEDFD ΔE 0.044
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.048
- Powder Blue #B0E0E6 ΔE 0.051
- Robin Egg Blue #8AF1FE ΔE 0.058
- Robin's Egg Blue #98EFF9 ΔE 0.058
Use #81DCED 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.