Color #B5CEFA Color / Colour Code #B5CEFA
This page shows the hex color code for color #b5cefa (#B5CEFA). The colour is a blue tone with 87% saturation and 85% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #B5CEFA against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#B5CEFA paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 188, 218, and 248 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 218, 338, and 98 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #B5CEFA
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 218 and saturation at 87%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 218 to 263 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 218 with its complement at 38 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 #B5CEFA
Lightness variations at hue 218 and 87% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #B5CEFA
Design Use Cases for #B5CEFA
High-Impact Accent
With 87% saturation, #B5CEFA 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.
Near-White Background
At 85% lightness, #B5CEFA is very close to white but carries a subtle blue tint. This is perfect for alternating row backgrounds in tables, subtle section differentiation, and adding warmth or coolness to an otherwise stark white design.
Trust & Professional Identity
#B5CEFA sits in the blue range (hue 218). 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 #B5CEFA (hue 218) to its complement at hue 38. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 248. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #b5cefa, #fae2b7);
CSS Code for #B5CEFA
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #B5CEFA based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #B5CEFA across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #B5CEFA (#B5CEFA)
#B5CEFA is a blue color (colour) with RGB channel values of 181 red, 206 green, and 250 blue. The blue channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 218 degrees with 87% saturation and 85% lightness, placing it in the cool range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #B5CEFA is 204/255 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 28% cyan, 18% magenta, 0% yellow, and 2% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #B5CEFA against white is 1.59:1 and against black is 13.17:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 13.17:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #FAE2B7 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #B5CEFA. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #B7F1FA and #C0B7FA, 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 #B5CEFA
- 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 #B5CEFA?
- #B5CEFA is Color #B5CEFA, a blue color (colour) with RGB(181, 206, 250), HSL(218, 87%, 85%), and CMYK(28%, 18%, 0%, 2%). Its perceived brightness is 204/255.
- Is #B5CEFA accessible for text?
- Against white, #B5CEFA has a contrast ratio of 1.59:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 13.17:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #B5CEFA?
- The complementary colour is #FAE2B7 (hue 38). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #B7F1FA and #C0B7FA. The triadic palette adds #FAB7D0 and #D0FAB7 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #B5CEFA in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #b5cefa; or rgb(181, 206, 250); or hsl(218, 87%, 85%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 218 87% 85%; 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.