Color #174E45 Color / Colour Code #174E45
This page shows the hex color code for color #174e45 (#174E45). The colour is a cyan tone with 54% saturation and 20% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #174E45 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#174E45 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 140, 170, and 200 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 170, 290, and 50 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #174E45
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 170 and saturation at 54%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 170 to 215 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 170 with its complement at 350 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 #174E45
Lightness variations at hue 170 and 54% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #174E45
Design Use Cases for #174E45
Balanced UI Color
At 54% saturation, #174E45 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
#174E45 at 20% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its cyan character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Clarity & Technology
#174E45 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 170). 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 #174E45 (hue 170) to its complement at hue 350. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 200. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #174e45, #4f1721);
CSS Code for #174E45
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #174E45 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #174E45 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #174E45 (#174E45)
#174E45 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 23 red, 78 green, and 69 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.4:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 170 degrees with 54% saturation and 20% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #174E45 is 61/255 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 71% cyan, 0% magenta, 12% yellow, and 69% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #174E45 against white is 9.49:1 and against black is 2.21:1. 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 #4F1721 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #174E45. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #174F2A and #173C4F, 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 #174E45
- 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 #174E45?
- #174E45 is Color #174E45, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(23, 78, 69), HSL(170, 54%, 20%), and CMYK(71%, 0%, 12%, 69%). Its perceived brightness is 61/255.
- Is #174E45 accessible for text?
- Against white, #174E45 has a contrast ratio of 9.49:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.21:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #174E45?
- The complementary colour is #4F1721 (hue 350). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #174F2A and #173C4F. The triadic palette adds #45174F and #4F4517 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #174E45 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #174e45; or rgb(23, 78, 69); or hsl(170, 54%, 20%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 170 54% 20%; 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.