Color #228EC3 Color / Colour Code #228EC3
This page shows the hex color code for color #228ec3 (#228EC3). The colour is a blue tone with 70% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #228EC3 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#228EC3 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 170, 200, and 230 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 200, 320, and 80 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #228EC3
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 200 and saturation at 70%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 200 to 245 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 200 with its complement at 20 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 #228EC3
Lightness variations at hue 200 and 70% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #228EC3
Design Use Cases for #228EC3
Vibrant Brand Color
#228EC3 has a strong 70% 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, #228EC3 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
#228EC3 sits in the blue range (hue 200). 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 #228EC3 (hue 200) to its complement at hue 20. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 230. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #228ec3, #c35822);
CSS Code for #228EC3
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #228EC3 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #228EC3 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #228EC3 (#228EC3)
#228EC3 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 34 red, 142 green, and 195 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 5.7:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 200 degrees with 70% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #228EC3 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 83% cyan, 27% magenta, 0% yellow, and 24% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #228EC3 against white is 3.67:1 and against black is 5.73:1. 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 5.73:1.
The complementary colour #C35822 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #228EC3. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #22C3A8 and #223DC3, 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 #228EC3
- 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 #228EC3?
- #228EC3 is Color #228EC3, a blue color (colour) with RGB(34, 142, 195), HSL(200, 70%, 45%), and CMYK(83%, 27%, 0%, 24%). Its perceived brightness is 116/255.
- Is #228EC3 accessible for text?
- Against white, #228EC3 has a contrast ratio of 3.67:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.73:1 (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 #228EC3?
- The complementary colour is #C35822 (hue 20). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #22C3A8 and #223DC3. The triadic palette adds #C3228E and #8EC322 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #228EC3 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #228ec3; or rgb(34, 142, 195); or hsl(200, 70%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 200 70% 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.