What color is #4281BB?

#4281BB is a medium blue. In RGB it is rgb(66, 129, 187), and in HSL hsl(209, 48%, 50%).

Is #4281BB accessible as text?

On white, #4281BB has a contrast ratio of 4.13:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.09:1 (passes). For text placed on #4281BB, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #4281BB?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is sky-600 (#0084D1).

What colors go well with #4281BB?

#4281BB pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #BD7D42. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #4281BB below.

Is #4281BB good for buttons?

#4281BB works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #4281BB — white text only reaches 4.13:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #4281BB the same as CSS steelblue?

No — #4281BB is not the CSS named color steelblue, but steelblue (#4682B4) is the closest CSS named color.

#4281BB Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #4281BB

Not just a swatch — here's how #4281BB works with other colors. Named schemes with #4281BB in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #4281BB Accent #A5C4C1 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #20344A

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

Signal #4281BB Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #6EA6DC

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

Lead #4281BB Secondary #7F4438 Surface #E1DDC0 Accent #375245 Anchor #57233B

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

Lead #4281BB Surface #EDE9D6 Anchor #5A2245 Accent #E4C2CB Secondary #322B2F

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #4281BB Secondary #95AABF Support #969386 Ink #16140F

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 #4281BB 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 19/100

Cool

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

Softness 48/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 41/100

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 51/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 49/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 30/100

Low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 91/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 27/100

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 #4281BB

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #4281BB with

Medium Turquoise Cerulean Copper Gainsboro Charcoal

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AA

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 4.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #DDE6EE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #4259BD — 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 #4281BB 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: #4281BB;
  --color-base-rgb: 66 129 187;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(58.8% 0.111 248.5);
  --color-50: #F3F7FB;
  --color-100: #E0EBF5;
  --color-200: #C3D7EA;
  --color-300: #99B9D7;
  --color-400: #719AC1;
  --color-500: #507CA5;
  --color-600: #43627F;
  --color-700: #34485B;
  --color-800: #25313C;
  --color-900: #181F25;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  steel-blue: {
    50: '#F3F7FB',
    100: '#E0EBF5',
    200: '#C3D7EA',
    300: '#99B9D7',
    400: '#719AC1',
    500: '#507CA5',
    600: '#43627F',
    700: '#34485B',
    800: '#25313C',
    900: '#181F25',
  },
}

$base: #4281BB;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F7FB;
$base-100: #E0EBF5;
$base-200: #C3D7EA;
$base-300: #99B9D7;
$base-400: #719AC1;
$base-500: #507CA5;
$base-600: #43627F;
$base-700: #34485B;
$base-800: #25313C;
$base-900: #181F25;
$base-hover: #356897;
$base-subtle: #CBD9E7;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#4281BB",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F7FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E0EBF5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C3D7EA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#99B9D7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#719AC1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#507CA5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#43627F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#34485B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#25313C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#181F25",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #4281BB

Color Lab

Pairs with #4281BB

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export