Color #ADB8EB Color / Colour Code #ADB8EB
This page shows the hex color code for color #adb8eb (#ADB8EB). The colour is a blue tone with 61% saturation and 80% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #ADB8EB against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#ADB8EB paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 199, 229, and 259 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 229, 349, and 109 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #ADB8EB
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 229 and saturation at 61%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 229 to 274 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 229 with its complement at 49 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 #ADB8EB
Lightness variations at hue 229 and 61% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #ADB8EB
Design Use Cases for #ADB8EB
Vibrant Brand Color
#ADB8EB has a strong 61% 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
#ADB8EB at 80% 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.
Trust & Professional Identity
#ADB8EB sits in the blue range (hue 229). 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 #ADB8EB (hue 229) to its complement at hue 49. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 259. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #adb8eb, #ebe0ad);
CSS Code for #ADB8EB
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #ADB8EB based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #ADB8EB across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #ADB8EB (#ADB8EB)
#ADB8EB is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 173 red, 184 green, and 235 blue. The blue channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 229 degrees with 61% saturation and 80% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #ADB8EB is 187/255 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 26% cyan, 22% magenta, 0% yellow, and 8% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #ADB8EB against white is 1.94:1 and against black is 10.83:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 10.83:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #EBE0AD creates maximum visual tension when paired with #ADB8EB. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #ADD7EB and #C1ADEB, 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 #ADB8EB
- 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 #ADB8EB?
- #ADB8EB is Color #ADB8EB, a blue color (colour) with RGB(173, 184, 235), HSL(229, 61%, 80%), and CMYK(26%, 22%, 0%, 8%). Its perceived brightness is 187/255.
- Is #ADB8EB accessible for text?
- Against white, #ADB8EB has a contrast ratio of 1.94:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 10.83:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #ADB8EB?
- The complementary colour is #EBE0AD (hue 49). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #ADD7EB and #C1ADEB. The triadic palette adds #EBADB8 and #B8EBAD for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #ADB8EB in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #adb8eb; or rgb(173, 184, 235); or hsl(229, 61%, 80%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 229 61% 80%; 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.