Color #38DAFA Color / Colour Code #38DAFA
This page shows the hex color code for color #38dafa (#38DAFA). The colour is a cyan tone with 95% saturation and 60% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #38DAFA against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#38DAFA paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 160, 190, and 220 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 190, 310, and 70 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #38DAFA
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 190 and saturation at 95%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 190 to 235 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 190 with its complement at 10 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 #38DAFA
Lightness variations at hue 190 and 95% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #38DAFA
Design Use Cases for #38DAFA
High-Impact Accent
With 95% saturation, #38DAFA is highly vivid. Reserve this for elements that need maximum attention: primary action buttons, notification badges, error states, or promotional banners. Use sparingly alongside neutral tones to avoid visual fatigue.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 60% lightness, #38DAFA 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
#38DAFA is in the cyan spectrum (hue 190). 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 #38DAFA (hue 190) to its complement at hue 10. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 220. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #38dafa, #fa5838);
CSS Code for #38DAFA
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #38DAFA based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #38DAFA across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #38DAFA (#38DAFA)
#38DAFA is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 56 red, 218 green, and 250 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 4.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 190 degrees with 95% saturation and 60% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #38DAFA is 173/255 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, 13% magenta, 0% yellow, and 2% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #38DAFA against white is 1.67:1 and against black is 12.58:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 12.58:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #FA5838 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #38DAFA. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #38FAB9 and #3879FA, 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 #38DAFA
- 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 #38DAFA?
- #38DAFA is Color #38DAFA, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(56, 218, 250), HSL(190, 95%, 60%), and CMYK(78%, 13%, 0%, 2%). Its perceived brightness is 173/255.
- Is #38DAFA accessible for text?
- Against white, #38DAFA has a contrast ratio of 1.67:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 12.58:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #38DAFA?
- The complementary colour is #FA5838 (hue 10). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #38FAB9 and #3879FA. The triadic palette adds #FA38DA and #DAFA38 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #38DAFA in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #38dafa; or rgb(56, 218, 250); or hsl(190, 95%, 60%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 190 95% 60%; 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.