Color #389DAD Color / Colour Code #389DAD
This page shows the hex color code for color #389dad (#389DAD). The colour is a cyan tone with 51% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #389DAD against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#389DAD paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 158, 188, and 218 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 188, 308, and 68 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #389DAD
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 188 and saturation at 51%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 188 to 233 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 188 with its complement at 8 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 #389DAD
Lightness variations at hue 188 and 51% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #389DAD
Design Use Cases for #389DAD
Balanced UI Color
At 51% saturation, #389DAD strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Primary Interface Color
At 45% lightness, #389DAD 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.
Clarity & Technology
#389DAD is in the cyan spectrum (hue 188). 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 #389DAD (hue 188) to its complement at hue 8. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 218. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #389dad, #ad4838);
CSS Code for #389DAD
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #389DAD based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #389DAD across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #389DAD (#389DAD)
#389DAD is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 56 red, 157 green, and 173 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 188 degrees with 51% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #389DAD is 129/255 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 68% cyan, 9% magenta, 0% yellow, and 32% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #389DAD against white is 3.18:1 and against black is 6.59:1. 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 6.59:1.
The complementary colour #AD4838 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #389DAD. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #38AD82 and #3863AD, 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 #389DAD
- 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 #389DAD?
- #389DAD is Color #389DAD, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(56, 157, 173), HSL(188, 51%, 45%), and CMYK(68%, 9%, 0%, 32%). Its perceived brightness is 129/255.
- Is #389DAD accessible for text?
- Against white, #389DAD has a contrast ratio of 3.18:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.59:1 (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 #389DAD?
- The complementary colour is #AD4838 (hue 8). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #38AD82 and #3863AD. The triadic palette adds #AD389E and #9EAD38 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #389DAD in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #389dad; or rgb(56, 157, 173); or hsl(188, 51%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 188 51% 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.