Color #384E52 Color / Colour Code #384E52
This page shows the hex color code for color #384e52 (#384E52). The colour is a cyan tone with 19% saturation and 27% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #384E52 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#384E52 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 159, 189, and 219 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 189, 309, and 69 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #384E52
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 189 and saturation at 19%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 189 to 234 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 189 with its complement at 9 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 #384E52
Lightness variations at hue 189 and 19% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #384E52
Design Use Cases for #384E52
Muted Accent Color
With 19% saturation, #384E52 has a subtle, sophisticated quality. This level of desaturation works well for secondary buttons, inactive states, subtle borders, and backgrounds that need a hint of color without being distracting. Muted colors communicate restraint and professionalism.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#384E52 at 27% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its cyan character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Clarity & Technology
#384E52 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 189). Cyan evokes technology, clarity, and innovation. It works well for tech product interfaces, data visualization accents, loading indicators, and futuristic design themes. Cyan provides a modern alternative to traditional blues.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #384E52 (hue 189) to its complement at hue 9. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 219. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #384e52, #523c38);
CSS Code for #384E52
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #384E52 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #384E52 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #384E52 (#384E52)
#384E52 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 56 red, 78 green, and 82 blue. The blue channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 189 degrees with 19% saturation and 27% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #384E52 is 72/255 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 32% cyan, 5% magenta, 0% yellow, and 68% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #384E52 against white is 8.82:1 and against black is 2.38:1. This exceeds the AAA requirement (7:1) for normal text on white, making it excellent for body text and small UI labels on light backgrounds.
The complementary colour #523C38 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #384E52. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #385249 and #384152, 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 #384E52
- 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 #384E52?
- #384E52 is Color #384E52, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(56, 78, 82), HSL(189, 19%, 27%), and CMYK(32%, 5%, 0%, 68%). Its perceived brightness is 72/255.
- Is #384E52 accessible for text?
- Against white, #384E52 has a contrast ratio of 8.82:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.38:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #384E52?
- The complementary colour is #523C38 (hue 9). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #385249 and #384152. The triadic palette adds #52384E and #4E5238 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #384E52 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #384e52; or rgb(56, 78, 82); or hsl(189, 19%, 27%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 189 19% 27%; 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.