Color #172136 Color / Colour Code #172136
This page shows the hex color code for color #172136 (#172136). The colour is a blue tone with 40% saturation and 15% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #172136 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#172136 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 191, 221, and 251 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 221, 341, and 101 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #172136
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 221 and saturation at 40%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 221 to 266 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 221 with its complement at 41 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 #172136
Lightness variations at hue 221 and 40% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #172136
Design Use Cases for #172136
Balanced UI Color
At 40% saturation, #172136 strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#172136 at 15% 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
#172136 sits in the blue range (hue 221). 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 #172136 (hue 221) to its complement at hue 41. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 251. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #172136, #362c17);
CSS Code for #172136
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #172136 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #172136 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #172136 (#172136)
#172136 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 23 red, 33 green, and 54 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.3:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 221 degrees with 40% saturation and 15% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #172136 is 32/255 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 57% cyan, 39% magenta, 0% yellow, and 79% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #172136 against white is 16.06:1 and against black is 1.31:1. 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 #362C17 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #172136. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #173036 and #1D1736, 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 #172136
- 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 #172136?
- #172136 is Color #172136, a blue color (colour) with RGB(23, 33, 54), HSL(221, 40%, 15%), and CMYK(57%, 39%, 0%, 79%). Its perceived brightness is 32/255.
- Is #172136 accessible for text?
- Against white, #172136 has a contrast ratio of 16.06:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.31:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #172136?
- The complementary colour is #362C17 (hue 41). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #173036 and #1D1736. The triadic palette adds #361721 and #213617 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #172136 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #172136; or rgb(23, 33, 54); or hsl(221, 40%, 15%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 221 40% 15%; 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.