Color #172D44 Color / Colour Code #172D44
This page shows the hex color code for color #172d44 (#172D44). The colour is a blue tone with 49% saturation and 18% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #172D44 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#172D44 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 181, 211, and 241 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 211, 331, and 91 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #172D44
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 211 and saturation at 49%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 211 to 256 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 211 with its complement at 31 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 #172D44
Lightness variations at hue 211 and 49% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #172D44
Design Use Cases for #172D44
Balanced UI Color
At 49% saturation, #172D44 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
#172D44 at 18% 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
#172D44 sits in the blue range (hue 211). 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 #172D44 (hue 211) to its complement at hue 31. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 241. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #172d44, #442f17);
CSS Code for #172D44
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #172D44 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #172D44 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #172D44 (#172D44)
#172D44 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 23 red, 45 green, and 68 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 211 degrees with 49% saturation and 18% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #172D44 is 41/255 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 66% cyan, 34% magenta, 0% yellow, and 73% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #172D44 against white is 14.04:1 and against black is 1.50:1. 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 #442F17 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #172D44. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #174444 and #181744, 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 #172D44
- 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 #172D44?
- #172D44 is Color #172D44, a blue color (colour) with RGB(23, 45, 68), HSL(211, 49%, 18%), and CMYK(66%, 34%, 0%, 73%). Its perceived brightness is 41/255.
- Is #172D44 accessible for text?
- Against white, #172D44 has a contrast ratio of 14.04:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.50:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #172D44?
- The complementary colour is #442F17 (hue 31). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #174444 and #181744. The triadic palette adds #44172D and #2D4417 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #172D44 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #172d44; or rgb(23, 45, 68); or hsl(211, 49%, 18%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 211 49% 18%; 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.