Cyan Color / Colour Code #3E7474
This page shows the hex color code for cyan (#3E7474). The colour is a cyan tone with 30% saturation and 35% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #3E7474 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#3E7474 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 150, 180, and 210 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 180, 300, and 60 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #3E7474
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 180 and saturation at 30%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 180 to 225 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 180 with its complement at 0 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 #3E7474
Lightness variations at hue 180 and 30% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #3E7474
Design Use Cases for #3E7474
Balanced UI Color
At 30% saturation, #3E7474 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 35% lightness, #3E7474 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
#3E7474 is in the cyan spectrum (hue 180). 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 #3E7474 (hue 180) to its complement at hue 0. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 210. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #3e7474, #743e3e);
CSS Code for #3E7474
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #3E7474 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #3E7474 across image editing and color design tools.
About Cyan (#3E7474)
#3E7474 is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 62 red, 116 green, and 116 blue. The green channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 180 degrees with 30% saturation and 35% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #3E7474 is 100/255 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 47% cyan, 0% magenta, 0% yellow, and 55% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #3E7474 against white is 5.31:1 and against black is 3.96:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 25% lightness.
The complementary colour #743E3E creates maximum visual tension when paired with #3E7474. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #3E7459 and #3E5974, 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 #3E7474
- 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 #3E7474?
- #3E7474 is Cyan, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(62, 116, 116), HSL(180, 30%, 35%), and CMYK(47%, 0%, 0%, 55%). Its perceived brightness is 100/255.
- Is #3E7474 accessible for text?
- Against white, #3E7474 has a contrast ratio of 5.31:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.96:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #3E7474?
- The complementary colour is #743E3E (hue 0). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #3E7459 and #3E5974. The triadic palette adds #743E74 and #74743E for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #3E7474 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #3e7474; or rgb(62, 116, 116); or hsl(180, 30%, 35%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 180 30% 35%; 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.