Teal 500 Color / Colour Code #14B8A6
This page shows the hex color code for teal 500 (#14B8A6). The colour is a cyan tone with 80% saturation and 40% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #14B8A6 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#14B8A6 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 143, 173, and 203 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 173, 293, and 53 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #14B8A6
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 173 and saturation at 80%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 173 to 218 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 173 with its complement at 353 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 #14B8A6
Lightness variations at hue 173 and 80% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #14B8A6
Design Use Cases for #14B8A6
Vibrant Brand Color
#14B8A6 has a strong 80% saturation that makes it ideal for brand identity elements. Use it for logos, primary call-to-action buttons, hero section accents, and marketing materials where visual impact matters. This saturation level is eye-catching without being harsh.
Primary Interface Color
At 40% lightness, #14B8A6 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
#14B8A6 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 173). 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 #14B8A6 (hue 173) to its complement at hue 353. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 203. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #14b8a6, #b81427);
CSS Code for #14B8A6
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #14B8A6 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #14B8A6 across image editing and color design tools.
About Teal 500 (#14B8A6)
#14B8A6 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 20 red, 184 green, and 166 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 9.2:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 173 degrees with 80% saturation and 40% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #14B8A6 is 133/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This is a medium-brightness color that can work with either dark or light text depending on font weight and size. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 89% cyan, 0% magenta, 10% yellow, and 28% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #14B8A6 against white is 2.49:1 and against black is 8.44:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 8.44:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #B81427 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #14B8A6. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #14B853 and #1479B8, 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 #14B8A6
- 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 #14B8A6?
- #14B8A6 is Teal 500, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(20, 184, 166), HSL(173, 80%, 40%), and CMYK(89%, 0%, 10%, 28%). Its perceived brightness is 133/255.
- Is #14B8A6 accessible for text?
- Against white, #14B8A6 has a contrast ratio of 2.49:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 8.44:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #14B8A6?
- The complementary colour is #B81427 (hue 353). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #14B853 and #1479B8. The triadic palette adds #A514B8 and #B8A514 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #14B8A6 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #14b8a6; or rgb(20, 184, 166); or hsl(173, 80%, 40%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 173 80% 40%; 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.