Color #508BB3 Color / Colour Code #508BB3
This page shows the hex color code for color #508bb3 (#508BB3). The colour is a blue tone with 39% saturation and 51% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #508BB3 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#508BB3 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 174, 204, and 234 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 204, 324, and 84 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #508BB3
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 204 and saturation at 39%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 204 to 249 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 204 with its complement at 24 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 #508BB3
Lightness variations at hue 204 and 39% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #508BB3
Design Use Cases for #508BB3
Balanced UI Color
At 39% saturation, #508BB3 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, #508BB3 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.
Trust & Professional Identity
#508BB3 sits in the blue range (hue 204). Blue is the world's most popular color for corporate identities because it conveys trust, stability, and competence. Use it for navigation bars, link text, form focus states, and any element where user confidence matters. Financial, healthcare, and technology brands rely heavily on this hue range.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #508BB3 (hue 204) to its complement at hue 24. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 234. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #508bb3, #b37851);
CSS Code for #508BB3
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #508BB3 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #508BB3 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #508BB3 (#508BB3)
#508BB3 is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 80 red, 139 green, and 179 blue. The blue channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.2:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 204 degrees with 39% saturation and 51% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #508BB3 is 126/255 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 55% cyan, 22% magenta, 0% yellow, and 30% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #508BB3 against white is 3.69:1 and against black is 5.69:1. 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 5.69:1.
The complementary colour #B37851 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #508BB3. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #51B3A9 and #515BB3, 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 #508BB3
- 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 #508BB3?
- #508BB3 is Color #508BB3, a blue color (colour) with RGB(80, 139, 179), HSL(204, 39%, 51%), and CMYK(55%, 22%, 0%, 30%). Its perceived brightness is 126/255.
- Is #508BB3 accessible for text?
- Against white, #508BB3 has a contrast ratio of 3.69:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.69:1 (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 #508BB3?
- The complementary colour is #B37851 (hue 24). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #51B3A9 and #515BB3. The triadic palette adds #B3518C and #8CB351 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #508BB3 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #508bb3; or rgb(80, 139, 179); or hsl(204, 39%, 51%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 204 39% 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.