Color #ADD8CD Color / Colour Code #ADD8CD
This page shows the hex color code for color #add8cd (#ADD8CD). The colour is a cyan tone with 36% saturation and 76% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #ADD8CD against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#ADD8CD paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 135, 165, and 195 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 165, 285, and 45 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #ADD8CD
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 165 and saturation at 36%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 165 to 210 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 165 with its complement at 345 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 #ADD8CD
Lightness variations at hue 165 and 36% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #ADD8CD
Design Use Cases for #ADD8CD
Balanced UI Color
At 36% saturation, #ADD8CD 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.
Light Background Tint
#ADD8CD at 76% 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
#ADD8CD is in the cyan spectrum (hue 165). 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 #ADD8CD (hue 165) to its complement at hue 345. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 195. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #add8cd, #d8acb7);
CSS Code for #ADD8CD
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #ADD8CD based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #ADD8CD across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #ADD8CD (#ADD8CD)
#ADD8CD is a cyan color (colour) with RGB channel values of 173 red, 216 green, and 205 blue. The green channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 165 degrees with 36% saturation and 76% lightness, placing it in the neutral-to-cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #ADD8CD is 202/255 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 20% cyan, 0% magenta, 5% yellow, and 15% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #ADD8CD against white is 1.56:1 and against black is 13.48:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 13.48:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #D8ACB7 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #ADD8CD. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #ACD8B7 and #ACCDD8, 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 #ADD8CD
- 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 #ADD8CD?
- #ADD8CD is Color #ADD8CD, a cyan color (colour) with RGB(173, 216, 205), HSL(165, 36%, 76%), and CMYK(20%, 0%, 5%, 15%). Its perceived brightness is 202/255.
- Is #ADD8CD accessible for text?
- Against white, #ADD8CD has a contrast ratio of 1.56:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 13.48:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #ADD8CD?
- The complementary colour is #D8ACB7 (hue 345). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #ACD8B7 and #ACCDD8. The triadic palette adds #CDACD8 and #D8CDAC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #ADD8CD in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #add8cd; or rgb(173, 216, 205); or hsl(165, 36%, 76%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 165 36% 76%; 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.