Color #48CBBE Color / Colour Code #48CBBE
This page shows the hex color code for color #48cbbe (#48CBBE). The colour is a cyan tone with 56% saturation and 54% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #48CBBE against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#48CBBE paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 144, 174, and 204 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 174, 294, and 54 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #48CBBE
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 174 and saturation at 56%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 174 to 219 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 174 with its complement at 354 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 #48CBBE
Lightness variations at hue 174 and 56% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #48CBBE
Design Use Cases for #48CBBE
Balanced UI Color
At 56% saturation, #48CBBE 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 54% lightness, #48CBBE 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
#48CBBE is in the cyan spectrum (hue 174). 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 #48CBBE (hue 174) to its complement at hue 354. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 204. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #48cbbe, #cb4855);
CSS Code for #48CBBE
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #48CBBE based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #48CBBE across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #48CBBE (#48CBBE)
#48CBBE is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 72 red, 203 green, and 190 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 174 degrees with 56% saturation and 54% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #48CBBE is 162/255 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 65% cyan, 0% magenta, 6% yellow, and 20% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #48CBBE against white is 1.99:1 and against black is 10.56:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 10.56:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #CB4855 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #48CBBE. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #48CB7D and #4897CB, 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 #48CBBE
- 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 #48CBBE?
- #48CBBE is Color #48CBBE, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(72, 203, 190), HSL(174, 56%, 54%), and CMYK(65%, 0%, 6%, 20%). Its perceived brightness is 162/255.
- Is #48CBBE accessible for text?
- Against white, #48CBBE has a contrast ratio of 1.99:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 10.56:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #48CBBE?
- The complementary colour is #CB4855 (hue 354). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #48CB7D and #4897CB. The triadic palette adds #BE48CB and #CBBE48 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #48CBBE in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #48cbbe; or rgb(72, 203, 190); or hsl(174, 56%, 54%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 174 56% 54%; 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.