Color #85EFCC Color / Colour Code #85EFCC
This page shows the hex color code for color #85efcc (#85EFCC). The colour is a cyan tone with 77% saturation and 73% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #85EFCC against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#85EFCC paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 130, 160, and 190 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 160, 280, and 40 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #85EFCC
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 160 and saturation at 77%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 160 to 205 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 160 with its complement at 340 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 #85EFCC
Lightness variations at hue 160 and 77% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #85EFCC
Design Use Cases for #85EFCC
Vibrant Brand Color
#85EFCC has a strong 77% saturation that makes it ideal for brand identity elements. Use it for logos, primary call-to-action buttons, hero section accents, and marketing materials where visual impact matters. This saturation level is eye-catching without being harsh.
Light Background Tint
#85EFCC at 73% lightness creates a gentle tinted background. Use it for section backgrounds, alert banners, or card surfaces that need to stand out from a white page without strong contrast. It adds color personality while keeping the design light and open.
Clarity & Technology
#85EFCC is in the cyan spectrum (hue 160). 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 #85EFCC (hue 160) to its complement at hue 340. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 190. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #85efcc, #ef85a8);
CSS Code for #85EFCC
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #85EFCC based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #85EFCC across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #85EFCC (#85EFCC)
#85EFCC is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 133 red, 239 green, and 204 blue. The green channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 160 degrees with 77% saturation and 73% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #85EFCC is 203/255 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 44% cyan, 0% magenta, 15% yellow, and 6% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #85EFCC against white is 1.38:1 and against black is 15.22:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 15.22:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #EF85A8 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #85EFCC. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #85EF97 and #85DDEF, 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 #85EFCC
- 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 #85EFCC?
- #85EFCC is Color #85EFCC, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(133, 239, 204), HSL(160, 77%, 73%), and CMYK(44%, 0%, 15%, 6%). Its perceived brightness is 203/255.
- Is #85EFCC accessible for text?
- Against white, #85EFCC has a contrast ratio of 1.38:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 15.22:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #85EFCC?
- The complementary colour is #EF85A8 (hue 340). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #85EF97 and #85DDEF. The triadic palette adds #CC85EF and #EFCC85 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #85EFCC in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #85efcc; or rgb(133, 239, 204); or hsl(160, 77%, 73%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 160 77% 73%; 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.