Color #38CBAE Color / Colour Code #38CBAE
This page shows the hex color code for color #38cbae (#38CBAE). The colour is a cyan tone with 59% saturation and 51% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #38CBAE against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#38CBAE paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 138, 168, and 198 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 168, 288, and 48 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #38CBAE
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 168 and saturation at 59%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 168 to 213 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 168 with its complement at 348 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 #38CBAE
Lightness variations at hue 168 and 59% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #38CBAE
Design Use Cases for #38CBAE
Balanced UI Color
At 59% saturation, #38CBAE 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 51% lightness, #38CBAE 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.
Clarity & Technology
#38CBAE is in the cyan spectrum (hue 168). 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 #38CBAE (hue 168) to its complement at hue 348. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 198. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #38cbae, #cc3856);
CSS Code for #38CBAE
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #38CBAE based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #38CBAE across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #38CBAE (#38CBAE)
#38CBAE is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 56 red, 203 green, and 174 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 168 degrees with 59% saturation and 51% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #38CBAE is 156/255 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 72% cyan, 0% magenta, 14% yellow, and 20% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #38CBAE against white is 2.03:1 and against black is 10.32:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 10.32:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #CC3856 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #38CBAE. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #38CC65 and #38A0CC, 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 #38CBAE
- 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 #38CBAE?
- #38CBAE is Color #38CBAE, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(56, 203, 174), HSL(168, 59%, 51%), and CMYK(72%, 0%, 14%, 20%). Its perceived brightness is 156/255.
- Is #38CBAE accessible for text?
- Against white, #38CBAE has a contrast ratio of 2.03:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 10.32:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #38CBAE?
- The complementary colour is #CC3856 (hue 348). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #38CC65 and #38A0CC. The triadic palette adds #AE38CC and #CCAE38 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #38CBAE in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #38cbae; or rgb(56, 203, 174); or hsl(168, 59%, 51%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 168 59% 51%; 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.