Color #008AA9 Color / Colour Code #008AA9
This page shows the hex color code for color #008aa9 (#008AA9). The colour is a cyan tone with 100% saturation and 33% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #008AA9 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#008AA9 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 161, 191, and 221 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 191, 311, and 71 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #008AA9
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 191 and saturation at 100%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 191 to 236 degrees create a warm, unified palette. This analogous scheme works for marketing materials, seasonal campaigns, and any design that needs visual warmth without clashing colors.
Combines the base color at hue 191 with its complement at 11 and two adjacent cool tones. This split-complementary approach provides strong visual contrast while remaining more balanced than a pure complementary scheme.
Five evenly spaced hues at 40% saturation and 80% lightness. Pastels are gentle on the eyes and work well for dashboards, onboarding screens, category tags, and any interface where multiple distinct colors are needed without visual aggression.
Shades & Tints of #008AA9
Lightness variations at hue 191 and 100% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #008AA9
Design Use Cases for #008AA9
High-Impact Accent
With 100% saturation, #008AA9 is highly vivid. Reserve this for elements that need maximum attention: primary action buttons, notification badges, error states, or promotional banners. Use sparingly alongside neutral tones to avoid visual fatigue.
Primary Interface Color
At 33% lightness, #008AA9 is in the mid-range, making it ideal for interactive elements like buttons, links, and selected states. This lightness level ensures good contrast against both light and dark adjacent elements in most layouts.
Clarity & Technology
#008AA9 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 191). Cyan evokes technology, clarity, and innovation. It works well for tech product interfaces, data visualization accents, loading indicators, and futuristic design themes. Cyan provides a modern alternative to traditional blues.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #008AA9 (hue 191) to its complement at hue 11. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 221. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #008aa9, #a81f00);
CSS Code for #008AA9
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #008AA9 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #008AA9 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #008AA9 (#008AA9)
#008AA9 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 0 red, 138 green, and 169 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 169.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 191 degrees with 100% saturation and 33% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #008AA9 is 100/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This appears dark to the human eye, so pair it with light text for adequate readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 100% cyan, 18% magenta, 0% yellow, and 34% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #008AA9 against white is 4.03:1 and against black is 5.21:1. This only passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. For normal body text on white, darken the color or use it on a dark background where it achieves 5.21:1.
The complementary colour #A81F00 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #008AA9. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #00A873 and #0035A8, which sit 30 degrees on either side of the hue wheel. To build a complete design system, start with the monochromatic scale above for consistent shade variations, then add one complementary or triadic accent for interactive elements.
How to Explore Color #008AA9
- Enter your color value in HEX format.
- The tool converts it to RGB, HSL, CMYK format in real time.
- Copy the converted value to your clipboard.
What is HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK color conversion
Converting from HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK translates a color value between two different color models. Different color models are used in web design (HEX, RGB), print (CMYK), and color theory (HSL, HSV).
Related Tools & Colors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What color / colour is #008AA9?
- #008AA9 is Color #008AA9, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(0, 138, 169), HSL(191, 100%, 33%), and CMYK(100%, 18%, 0%, 34%). Its perceived brightness is 100/255.
- Is #008AA9 accessible for text?
- Against white, #008AA9 has a contrast ratio of 4.03:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.21:1 (passes AA). It passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #008AA9?
- The complementary colour is #A81F00 (hue 11). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #00A873 and #0035A8. The triadic palette adds #A80089 and #89A800 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #008AA9 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #008aa9; or rgb(0, 138, 169); or hsl(191, 100%, 33%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 191 100% 33%; then use it as hsl(var(--color-primary)).
- Is this color / colour explorer free?
- Yes, completely free with no signup required. All colour calculations run in your browser. You can explore any valid hex color code, not just the pre-generated palette.