Color #166BD6 Color / Colour Code #166BD6
This page shows the hex color code for color #166bd6 (#166BD6). The colour is a blue tone with 81% saturation and 46% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #166BD6 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#166BD6 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 183, 213, and 243 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 213, 333, and 93 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #166BD6
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 213 and saturation at 81%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 213 to 258 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 213 with its complement at 33 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 #166BD6
Lightness variations at hue 213 and 81% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #166BD6
Design Use Cases for #166BD6
Vibrant Brand Color
#166BD6 has a strong 81% 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 46% lightness, #166BD6 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
#166BD6 sits in the blue range (hue 213). 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 #166BD6 (hue 213) to its complement at hue 33. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 243. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #166bd6, #d47f16);
CSS Code for #166BD6
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #166BD6 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #166BD6 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #166BD6 (#166BD6)
#166BD6 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 22 red, 107 green, and 214 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 9.7:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 213 degrees with 81% saturation and 46% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #166BD6 is 94/255 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 90% cyan, 50% magenta, 0% yellow, and 16% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #166BD6 against white is 5.11:1 and against black is 4.11:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 32% lightness.
The complementary colour #D47F16 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #166BD6. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #16CBD4 and #2016D4, 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 #166BD6
- 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 #166BD6?
- #166BD6 is Color #166BD6, a blue color (colour) with RGB(22, 107, 214), HSL(213, 81%, 46%), and CMYK(90%, 50%, 0%, 16%). Its perceived brightness is 94/255.
- Is #166BD6 accessible for text?
- Against white, #166BD6 has a contrast ratio of 5.11:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.11:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #166BD6?
- The complementary colour is #D47F16 (hue 33). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #16CBD4 and #2016D4. The triadic palette adds #D4166C and #6CD416 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #166BD6 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #166bd6; or rgb(22, 107, 214); or hsl(213, 81%, 46%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 213 81% 46%; 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.