Nearest named color: Steel Blue
#427DBD
#427DBD
Nearest named
Steel Blue
Family
Blue
Lightness
58.0%
Chroma
0.117
Hue angle
252.1°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
4.29:1 · AA Large
Contrast on black
4.33:1 · AA Large
Web-safe
#3366CC
CSS oklch()
58% 0.12 252

#427DBD is a mid-toned, cool indigo. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered. It carries a legible label as a UI accent and sits well as a supporting tone.

Palettes built on #427DBD

Not just a swatch — here's how #427DBD works with other colors. Named schemes with #427DBD in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

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

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Steel 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 Steel Blue.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Steel Blue plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Steel 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 Steel Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #427DBD 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 18/100
Cool
Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.
Softness 47/100
Moderate
Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.
Depth 42/100
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 50/100
Moderate
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 50/100
Moderate
Understated — leans refined without going austere.
Brand distinctiveness 32/100
Low
Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.
UI accent fit 94/100
Very high
Strong interactive accent — visible and can carry a legible label.
Surface fit 25/100
Low
Too saturated or mid-toned for big areas — keep it to accents.
Print safety 75/100
High
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #427DBD

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #427DBD with

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Too mid-tone for a filled button — darken for the fill. AA Large
Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid
Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass
Background Pair with #141310 text at 4.3:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #DDE5EE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #4255BD — 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 #427DBD at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI
Northwind Sign up
Build faster.
A working theme, generated in seconds.
Dashboard
Revenue
$48.2k ▲ 12%
Brand
AVELINE
Studio
Poster
Nov 14 · 8PM
NIGHT
MARKET
Packaging
BLOOM
Botanical Wash
250 ml
Interior

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #427DBD;
  --color-base-rgb: 66 125 189;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(58.0% 0.117 252.1);
  --color-50: #F3F7FB;
  --color-100: #E0EAF5;
  --color-200: #C3D6EA;
  --color-300: #99B7D7;
  --color-400: #7198C1;
  --color-500: #5079A5;
  --color-600: #43607F;
  --color-700: #34475B;
  --color-800: #25303C;
  --color-900: #181E25;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}