What color is #173ECE?

#173ECE is a medium, vivid blue. In RGB it is rgb(23, 62, 206), and in HSL hsl(227, 80%, 45%).

Is #173ECE accessible as text?

On white, #173ECE has a contrast ratio of 8.03:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 2.62:1 (fails). For text placed on #173ECE, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #173ECE?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is blue-800 (#193CB8).

What colors go well with #173ECE?

#173ECE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #CFA717. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #173ECE below.

Is #173ECE good for buttons?

#173ECE works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #173ECE — black text only reaches 2.62:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #173ECE the same as CSS mediumblue?

No — #173ECE is not the CSS named color mediumblue, but mediumblue (#0000CD) is the closest CSS named color.

#173ECE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #173ECE

Not just a swatch — here's how #173ECE works with other colors. Named schemes with #173ECE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #173ECE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #3C6BEC

Sapphire Blue is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Sapphire Blue.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #173ECE Accent #A5C4C2 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #21344A

Sapphire Blue opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #173ECE Surface #F6E5D8 Anchor #5B2144 Accent #E5C2CA Secondary #322B2F

Sapphire Blue sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #173ECE Secondary #667CAC Support #9D8F88 Ink #18140F

Sapphire Blue is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Sapphire Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Sunset Warmth Glow · 5 colors

Glow #173ECE Secondary #E76A75 Accent #F79251 Anchor #573B58 Surface #F7E7D7

Sapphire Blue glows at the center of this sunset palette, joined by coral and gold, deepened by a plum anchor and cooled with cream.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #173ECE actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 9/100

Cool

Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.

Softness 27/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 60/100

Moderate

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 15/100

Very low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 53/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 86/100

Very high

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 68/100

High

Strong interactive accent — visible and can carry a legible label.

Surface fit 11/100

Very low

Too saturated or mid-toned for big areas — keep it to accents.

Print safety 59/100

Moderate

Prints close, with a slight loss of vibrancy.

Pairs with #173ECE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #173ECE with

Deep Sky Blue Han Purple Brass Gainsboro Gunmetal Gray

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with white label. AAA

Body text Passes on white at 16px and above. Pass

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with white text at 8.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #D3DAF3 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #2C17CF — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #173ECE at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #173ECE;
  --color-base-rgb: 23 62 206;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(44.9% 0.224 265.2);
  --color-50: #F1F4FE;
  --color-100: #D9E1FC;
  --color-200: #B6C4F7;
  --color-300: #849AEB;
  --color-400: #5773DB;
  --color-500: #3452C1;
  --color-600: #2F4593;
  --color-700: #273568;
  --color-800: #1D2644;
  --color-900: #141829;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  sapphire-blue: {
    50: '#F1F4FE',
    100: '#D9E1FC',
    200: '#B6C4F7',
    300: '#849AEB',
    400: '#5773DB',
    500: '#3452C1',
    600: '#2F4593',
    700: '#273568',
    800: '#1D2644',
    900: '#141829',
  },
}

$base: #173ECE;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #F1F4FE;
$base-100: #D9E1FC;
$base-200: #B6C4F7;
$base-300: #849AEB;
$base-400: #5773DB;
$base-500: #3452C1;
$base-600: #2F4593;
$base-700: #273568;
$base-800: #1D2644;
$base-900: #141829;
$base-hover: #1232A5;
$base-subtle: #BBC6EF;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#173ECE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F1F4FE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#D9E1FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#B6C4F7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#849AEB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#5773DB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#3452C1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#2F4593",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#273568",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#1D2644",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#141829",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #173ECE

Color Lab

Pairs with #173ECE

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export