Color #188ECD Color / Colour Code #188ECD
This page shows the hex color code for color #188ecd (#188ECD). The colour is a blue tone with 79% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #188ECD against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#188ECD paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 171, 201, and 231 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 201, 321, and 81 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #188ECD
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 201 and saturation at 79%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 201 to 246 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 201 with its complement at 21 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 #188ECD
Lightness variations at hue 201 and 79% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #188ECD
Design Use Cases for #188ECD
Vibrant Brand Color
#188ECD has a strong 79% 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 45% lightness, #188ECD 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
#188ECD sits in the blue range (hue 201). 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 #188ECD (hue 201) to its complement at hue 21. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 231. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #188ecd, #cd5818);
CSS Code for #188ECD
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #188ECD based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #188ECD across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #188ECD (#188ECD)
#188ECD is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 24 red, 142 green, and 205 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 8.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 201 degrees with 79% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #188ECD is 114/255 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 88% cyan, 31% magenta, 0% yellow, and 20% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #188ECD against white is 3.63:1 and against black is 5.79:1. This only passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. For normal body text on white, darken the color or use it on a dark background where it achieves 5.79:1.
The complementary colour #CD5818 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #188ECD. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #18CDB2 and #1833CD, 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 #188ECD
- 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 #188ECD?
- #188ECD is Color #188ECD, a blue color (colour) with RGB(24, 142, 205), HSL(201, 79%, 45%), and CMYK(88%, 31%, 0%, 20%). Its perceived brightness is 114/255.
- Is #188ECD accessible for text?
- Against white, #188ECD has a contrast ratio of 3.63:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.79:1 (passes AA). It passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #188ECD?
- The complementary colour is #CD5818 (hue 21). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #18CDB2 and #1833CD. The triadic palette adds #CD188E and #8ECD18 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #188ECD in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #188ecd; or rgb(24, 142, 205); or hsl(201, 79%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 201 79% 45%; 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.