Color #16699C Color / Colour Code #16699C
This page shows the hex color code for color #16699c (#16699C). The colour is a blue tone with 75% saturation and 35% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #16699C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#16699C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 173, 203, and 233 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 203, 323, and 83 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #16699C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 203 and saturation at 75%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 203 to 248 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 203 with its complement at 23 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 #16699C
Lightness variations at hue 203 and 75% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #16699C
Design Use Cases for #16699C
Vibrant Brand Color
#16699C has a strong 75% 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 35% lightness, #16699C 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.
Trust & Professional Identity
#16699C sits in the blue range (hue 203). 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 #16699C (hue 203) to its complement at hue 23. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 233. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #16699c, #9c4a16);
CSS Code for #16699C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #16699C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #16699C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #16699C (#16699C)
#16699C is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 22 red, 105 green, and 156 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 7.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 203 degrees with 75% saturation and 35% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #16699C is 86/255 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 86% cyan, 33% magenta, 0% yellow, and 39% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #16699C against white is 5.94:1 and against black is 3.53:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 25% lightness.
The complementary colour #9C4A16 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #16699C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #169C8D and #16269C, 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 #16699C
- 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 #16699C?
- #16699C is Color #16699C, a blue color (colour) with RGB(22, 105, 156), HSL(203, 75%, 35%), and CMYK(86%, 33%, 0%, 39%). Its perceived brightness is 86/255.
- Is #16699C accessible for text?
- Against white, #16699C has a contrast ratio of 5.94:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.53:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #16699C?
- The complementary colour is #9C4A16 (hue 23). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #169C8D and #16269C. The triadic palette adds #9C1669 and #699C16 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #16699C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #16699c; or rgb(22, 105, 156); or hsl(203, 75%, 35%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 203 75% 35%; 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.