Dark Blue #00008B
Dark Blue is a dark, vivid blue with hex code #00008B and RGB rgb(0, 0, 139).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (15.29:1).
About this color
#00008B is a dark, vivid blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 29%, its chroma 0.199 and its hue 264°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. It is the named color Dark Blue. White text reads best on it, at 15.29:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | dark (29%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.199) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Blue |
| Black text | 1.37:1 |
| White text | 15.29:1 |
Colors that go with Dark Blue
Matches found by rotating Dark Blue around the OKLCH hue wheel, each labelled with the closest name in our list.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Color palettes with Dark Blue
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Dark Blue, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.06 of Dark Blue yet.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Dark Blue, with their ΔE distance.
- Navy #000080 ΔE 0.020
- Royal #0C1793 ΔE 0.036
- Deep Blue #040273 ΔE 0.044
- Dark Royal Blue #02066F ΔE 0.050
- Cobalt Blue #030AA7 ΔE 0.054
- Midnight Blue #191970 ΔE 0.061
- Darkblue #030764 ΔE 0.070
- Ultramarine #2000B1 ΔE 0.078
More about Dark Blue
How to make Dark Blue
A starting recipe from common paint colors, found with a spectral paint model (the color mixer’s paint mode). Real pigments vary, so mix a small test batch and adjust.
- 1 part blue
- 1 part purple
Recipe result: #3B3A9F, a difference of ΔE 0.140 from Dark Blue. Dark Blue is more vivid than these paints can mix, so start from a ready-made blue paint and adjust it.
Codes for Dark Blue in every format
| HEX | #00008B |
| RGB | rgb(0, 0, 139) |
| HSL | hsl(240, 100%, 27%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(28.8% 0.199 264.1) |
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 #00008B | 15.29:1 | AAA | Lc -103.1 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #00008B | 1.37:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
| #00008B text on white | 15.29:1 | AAA | Lc 100.0 | Preferred for body text |
| #00008B text on black | 1.37:1 | Fails | Lc 0.0 | Not readable |
Shades and tints of Dark Blue
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 950.
-
Step 50
50
#F1F6FF
oklch(97.2% 0.013 262.4)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EAFF
oklch(93.6% 0.03 265.3)
-
Step 200
200
#C7DAFF
oklch(88.6% 0.055 263.7)
-
Step 300
300
#A1C0FF
oklch(80.8% 0.096 264.1)
-
Step 400
400
#6F9DFF
oklch(70.7% 0.152 263.9)
-
Step 500
500
#4A80FF
oklch(63.1% 0.198 264.2)
-
Step 600
600
#235FFF
oklch(55.6% 0.245 264.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0038FF
oklch(49.1% 0.287 264)
-
Step 800
800
#002CD5
oklch(42.7% 0.252 264.1)
-
Step 900
900
#0024B4
oklch(37.7% 0.222 264)
-
Step 950
950 (this color)
#00008B
oklch(28.8% 0.199 264.1)
Dark Blue 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) | #002C8E | 0.067 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #001D89 | 0.035 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00374F | 0.148 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #252525 | 0.201 |
Use Dark Blue 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.