Color #266ABE Color / Colour Code #266ABE
This page shows the hex color code for color #266abe (#266ABE). The colour is a blue tone with 67% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #266ABE against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#266ABE paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 183, 213, and 243 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 213, 333, and 93 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #266ABE
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 213 and saturation at 67%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 213 to 258 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 213 with its complement at 33 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 #266ABE
Lightness variations at hue 213 and 67% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #266ABE
Design Use Cases for #266ABE
Vibrant Brand Color
#266ABE has a strong 67% 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, #266ABE 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
#266ABE sits in the blue range (hue 213). 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 #266ABE (hue 213) to its complement at hue 33. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 243. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #266abe, #c07a26);
CSS Code for #266ABE
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #266ABE based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #266ABE across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #266ABE (#266ABE)
#266ABE is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 38 red, 106 green, and 190 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 5.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 213 degrees with 67% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #266ABE is 95/255 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 80% cyan, 44% magenta, 0% yellow, and 25% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #266ABE against white is 5.40:1 and against black is 3.89:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 31% lightness.
The complementary colour #C07A26 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #266ABE. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #26B8C0 and #2E26C0, 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 #266ABE
- 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 #266ABE?
- #266ABE is Color #266ABE, a blue color (colour) with RGB(38, 106, 190), HSL(213, 67%, 45%), and CMYK(80%, 44%, 0%, 25%). Its perceived brightness is 95/255.
- Is #266ABE accessible for text?
- Against white, #266ABE has a contrast ratio of 5.40:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.89:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #266ABE?
- The complementary colour is #C07A26 (hue 33). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #26B8C0 and #2E26C0. The triadic palette adds #C0266B and #6BC026 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #266ABE in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #266abe; or rgb(38, 106, 190); or hsl(213, 67%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 213 67% 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.