Color #3498EA Color / Colour Code #3498EA
This page shows the hex color code for color #3498ea (#3498EA). The colour is a blue tone with 81% saturation and 56% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #3498EA against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#3498EA paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 177, 207, and 237 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 207, 327, and 87 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #3498EA
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 207 and saturation at 81%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 207 to 252 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 207 with its complement at 27 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 #3498EA
Lightness variations at hue 207 and 81% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #3498EA
Design Use Cases for #3498EA
Vibrant Brand Color
#3498EA has a strong 81% 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 56% lightness, #3498EA has a softer, more approachable quality. It works well for hover states, subtle highlights, progress indicators, and secondary UI elements. This lightness range is particularly effective for tag backgrounds and status indicators.
Trust & Professional Identity
#3498EA sits in the blue range (hue 207). 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 #3498EA (hue 207) to its complement at hue 27. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 237. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #3498ea, #ea8634);
CSS Code for #3498EA
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #3498EA based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #3498EA across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #3498EA (#3498EA)
#3498EA is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 52 red, 152 green, and 234 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 207 degrees with 81% saturation and 56% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #3498EA is 131/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This is a medium-brightness color that can work with either dark or light text depending on font weight and size. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 78% cyan, 35% magenta, 0% yellow, and 8% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #3498EA against white is 3.08:1 and against black is 6.83:1. 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 6.83:1.
The complementary colour #EA8634 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #3498EA. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #34EAE1 and #343DEA, 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 #3498EA
- 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 #3498EA?
- #3498EA is Color #3498EA, a blue color (colour) with RGB(52, 152, 234), HSL(207, 81%, 56%), and CMYK(78%, 35%, 0%, 8%). Its perceived brightness is 131/255.
- Is #3498EA accessible for text?
- Against white, #3498EA has a contrast ratio of 3.08:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.83:1 (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 #3498EA?
- The complementary colour is #EA8634 (hue 27). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #34EAE1 and #343DEA. The triadic palette adds #EA3498 and #98EA34 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #3498EA in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #3498ea; or rgb(52, 152, 234); or hsl(207, 81%, 56%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 207 81% 56%; 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.