Color #51FF85 Color / Colour Code #51FF85
This page shows the hex color code for color #51ff85 (#51FF85). The colour is a green tone with 100% saturation and 66% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #51FF85 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#51FF85 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 108, 138, and 168 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 138, 258, and 18 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #51FF85
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 138 and saturation at 100%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 138 to 183 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 138 with its complement at 318 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 #51FF85
Lightness variations at hue 138 and 100% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #51FF85
Design Use Cases for #51FF85
High-Impact Accent
With 100% saturation, #51FF85 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 66% lightness, #51FF85 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.
Success & Growth Indicators
#51FF85 falls in the green range (hue 138). Green universally represents success, growth, and safety. Use it for confirmation messages, positive chart data, eco-friendly badges, and health metrics. In financial dashboards, green indicates gains and positive performance.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #51FF85 (hue 138) to its complement at hue 318. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 168. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #51ff85, #ff52cb);
CSS Code for #51FF85
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #51FF85 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #51FF85 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #51FF85 (#51FF85)
#51FF85 is a green color (colour) with RGB channel values of 81 red, 255 green, and 133 blue. The green channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 138 degrees with 100% saturation and 66% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #51FF85 is 189/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This means it appears bright to the human eye and is best paired with dark text for readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 68% cyan, 0% magenta, 48% yellow, and 0% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #51FF85 against white is 1.31:1 and against black is 15.99:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 15.99:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #FF52CB creates maximum visual tension when paired with #51FF85. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #74FF52 and #52FFDC, 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 #51FF85
- 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 #51FF85?
- #51FF85 is Color #51FF85, a green color (colour) with RGB(81, 255, 133), HSL(138, 100%, 66%), and CMYK(68%, 0%, 48%, 0%). Its perceived brightness is 189/255.
- Is #51FF85 accessible for text?
- Against white, #51FF85 has a contrast ratio of 1.31:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 15.99:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #51FF85?
- The complementary colour is #FF52CB (hue 318). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #74FF52 and #52FFDC. The triadic palette adds #8652FF and #FF8652 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #51FF85 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #51ff85; or rgb(81, 255, 133); or hsl(138, 100%, 66%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 138 100% 66%; 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.