Color #218BDA Color / Colour Code #218BDA
This page shows the hex color code for color #218bda (#218BDA). The colour is a blue tone with 74% saturation and 49% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #218BDA against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#218BDA paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 176, 206, and 236 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 206, 326, and 86 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #218BDA
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 206 and saturation at 74%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 206 to 251 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 206 with its complement at 26 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 #218BDA
Lightness variations at hue 206 and 74% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #218BDA
Design Use Cases for #218BDA
Vibrant Brand Color
#218BDA has a strong 74% 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 49% lightness, #218BDA 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
#218BDA sits in the blue range (hue 206). 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 #218BDA (hue 206) to its complement at hue 26. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 236. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #218bda, #d97120);
CSS Code for #218BDA
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #218BDA based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #218BDA across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #218BDA (#218BDA)
#218BDA is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 33 red, 139 green, and 218 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 206 degrees with 74% saturation and 49% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #218BDA is 116/255 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 85% cyan, 36% magenta, 0% yellow, and 15% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #218BDA against white is 3.64:1 and against black is 5.77:1. 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 5.77:1.
The complementary colour #D97120 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #218BDA. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #20D9CD and #202DD9, 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 #218BDA
- 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 #218BDA?
- #218BDA is Color #218BDA, a blue color (colour) with RGB(33, 139, 218), HSL(206, 74%, 49%), and CMYK(85%, 36%, 0%, 15%). Its perceived brightness is 116/255.
- Is #218BDA accessible for text?
- Against white, #218BDA has a contrast ratio of 3.64:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.77:1 (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 #218BDA?
- The complementary colour is #D97120 (hue 26). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #20D9CD and #202DD9. The triadic palette adds #D92089 and #89D920 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #218BDA in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #218bda; or rgb(33, 139, 218); or hsl(206, 74%, 49%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 206 74% 49%; 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.