Color #3CA486 Color / Colour Code #3CA486
This page shows the hex color code for color #3ca486 (#3CA486). The colour is a cyan tone with 46% saturation and 44% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #3CA486 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#3CA486 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 133, 163, and 193 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 163, 283, and 43 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #3CA486
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 163 and saturation at 46%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 163 to 208 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 163 with its complement at 343 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 #3CA486
Lightness variations at hue 163 and 46% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #3CA486
Design Use Cases for #3CA486
Balanced UI Color
At 46% saturation, #3CA486 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 44% lightness, #3CA486 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
#3CA486 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 163). 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 #3CA486 (hue 163) to its complement at hue 343. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 193. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #3ca486, #a43d5a);
CSS Code for #3CA486
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #3CA486 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #3CA486 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #3CA486 (#3CA486)
#3CA486 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 60 red, 164 green, and 134 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.7:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 163 degrees with 46% saturation and 44% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #3CA486 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 63% cyan, 0% magenta, 18% yellow, and 36% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #3CA486 against white is 3.07:1 and against black is 6.85:1. 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 6.85:1.
The complementary colour #A43D5A creates maximum visual tension when paired with #3CA486. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #3DA453 and #3D8DA4, 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 #3CA486
- 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 #3CA486?
- #3CA486 is Color #3CA486, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(60, 164, 134), HSL(163, 46%, 44%), and CMYK(63%, 0%, 18%, 36%). Its perceived brightness is 129/255.
- Is #3CA486 accessible for text?
- Against white, #3CA486 has a contrast ratio of 3.07:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.85:1 (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 #3CA486?
- The complementary colour is #A43D5A (hue 343). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #3DA453 and #3D8DA4. The triadic palette adds #873DA4 and #A4873D for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #3CA486 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #3ca486; or rgb(60, 164, 134); or hsl(163, 46%, 44%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 163 46% 44%; 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.