Blue
Pale Blue
Pale Blue
#ADD8E6Click to copy
Pale Blue Parameter Conversion Table
More converters →HEX#ADD8E6Copy
RGBrgb(173, 216, 230)Copy
HSLhsl(195, 53%, 79%)Copy
HSV/HSBhsv(195, 25%, 90%)Copy
CMYKcmyk(25%, 6%, 0%, 10%)Copy
Pale Blue Color Schemes
Complementary
#ADD8E6
Click to copy#E6BBAD
Click to copyAnalogous
#ADE6D7
Click to copy#ADBCE6
Click to copySplit Complementary
#E6ADBC
Click to copy#E6D7AD
Click to copyMonochromatic
#ADD8E6
Click to copy#FCFDFD
Click to copy#FFFFFF
Click to copy#5FB3CE
Click to copy#2E7E99
Click to copy#173E4A
Click to copyPale Blue WCAG Accessibility Contrast
WCAG Calculator →The contrast ratio of this color against common foreground/background colors (based on the WCAG 2.1 standard)
Sample text Aa
White background #FFFFFF
1.53 : 1
AA NormalAA LargeAAA NormalAAA Large
Sample text Aa
Black background #000000
13.74 : 1
AA NormalAA LargeAAA NormalAAA Large
Sample text Aa
Light gray background #F5F5F5
1.40 : 1
AA NormalAA LargeAAA NormalAAA Large
Sample text Aa
Dark gray background #333333
8.27 : 1
AA NormalAA LargeAAA NormalAAA Large
Pale Blue Shade Variants
Gradient Generator →Lighten with White Mixed with white for a lighter, softer color
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Darken with Black Mixed with black for a deeper, heavier color
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Muted / Morandi Mixed with gray and desaturated for a sophisticated muted tone
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Pale Blue Color Introduction
Definition
Pale Blue (HEX #ADD8E6) has the RGB value rgb(173, 216, 230), the HSL value hsl(195°, 53%, 79%) and the CMYK print value cmyk(25%, 6%, 0%, 10%). In terms of color schemes, the complement of Pale Blue is #E6BBAD, and placing the two side by side produces a striking, eye-catching contrast; paired with the analogous colors #ADE6D8 and #ADBCE6 that sit next to it on the color wheel, it transitions naturally and harmoniously; in a split-complementary scheme (#E6ADBC, #E6D8AD) it keeps its contrast tension without losing layering; and a monochromatic scheme built on Pale Blue uses gradients of lightness and saturation to create a unified design with a strong sense of depth. Under the WCAG accessibility standard, Pale Blue has a contrast ratio of 1.53:1 against white and 13.74:1 against black; paired with a black background it reaches AAA, making it ideal for text and accent colors in dark mode.
Color Characteristics
Cyan sits between blue and green, evoking lakes, glaciers and the early morning sky. Clear and tech-savvy, it performs especially well in tech branding and summer themes. Specifically, Pale Blue has a lightness of 79% and a saturation of 53%, bright and airy, ideal as a light background or accent color that creates a soft, comfortable atmosphere; moreover, its saturation is moderate, keeping the color’s emotional expression without becoming overly assertive. In a word: The color of an early-summer clear sky.
Color Psychology
Cyan can evoke freshness, calm and trust, with a marked calming effect; psychologically it symbolizes purity, professionalism and technology. For this reason Pale Blue tends to leave a first impression of being fresh and pure in the viewer’s mind, and this emotional tone also defines the role it plays in design.
Best Uses
Cyan suits tech products, summer themes, cleaning and care products and any scene that needs a fresh, modern feel. In real projects, Pale Blue is also often used as a light background or supporting negative space; in “Cyan”-themed designs, the adjacent colors or lightness gradients built around it quickly establish a cohesive, clearly layered color scheme.
Pale Blue Featured In
This color is included in the following color cards and color families. Click a card to browse more colors in the corresponding collection.