Color #040B86 Color / Colour Code #040B86
This page shows the hex color code for color #040b86 (#040B86). The colour is a blue tone with 94% saturation and 27% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #040B86 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#040B86 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 207, 237, and 267 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 237, 357, and 117 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #040B86
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 237 and saturation at 94%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 237 to 282 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 237 with its complement at 57 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 #040B86
Lightness variations at hue 237 and 94% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #040B86
Design Use Cases for #040B86
High-Impact Accent
With 94% saturation, #040B86 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.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#040B86 at 27% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its blue character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Trust & Professional Identity
#040B86 sits in the blue range (hue 237). Blue is the world's most popular color for corporate identities because it conveys trust, stability, and competence. Use it for navigation bars, link text, form focus states, and any element where user confidence matters. Financial, healthcare, and technology brands rely heavily on this hue range.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #040B86 (hue 237) to its complement at hue 57. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 267. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #040b86, #867f04);
CSS Code for #040B86
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #040B86 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #040B86 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #040B86 (#040B86)
#040B86 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 4 red, 11 green, and 134 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 33.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 237 degrees with 94% saturation and 27% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #040B86 is 23/255 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 97% cyan, 92% magenta, 0% yellow, and 47% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #040B86 against white is 15.03:1 and against black is 1.40:1. This exceeds the AAA requirement (7:1) for normal text on white, making it excellent for body text and small UI labels on light backgrounds.
The complementary colour #867F04 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #040B86. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #044B86 and #3E0486, 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 #040B86
- 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 #040B86?
- #040B86 is Color #040B86, a blue color (colour) with RGB(4, 11, 134), HSL(237, 94%, 27%), and CMYK(97%, 92%, 0%, 47%). Its perceived brightness is 23/255.
- Is #040B86 accessible for text?
- Against white, #040B86 has a contrast ratio of 15.03:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.40:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #040B86?
- The complementary colour is #867F04 (hue 57). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #044B86 and #3E0486. The triadic palette adds #86040B and #0B8604 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #040B86 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #040b86; or rgb(4, 11, 134); or hsl(237, 94%, 27%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 237 94% 27%; 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.