What color is #4E88B2?

#4E88B2 is a medium cyan-blue. In RGB it is rgb(78, 136, 178), and in HSL hsl(205, 39%, 50%).

Is #4E88B2 accessible as text?

On white, #4E88B2 has a contrast ratio of 3.83:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.49:1 (passes). For text placed on #4E88B2, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #4E88B2?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is cyan-600 (#0092B8).

What colors go well with #4E88B2?

#4E88B2 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #B1774E. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #4E88B2 below.

Is #4E88B2 good for buttons?

#4E88B2 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #4E88B2 — white text only reaches 3.83:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #4E88B2 the same as CSS steelblue?

No — #4E88B2 is not the CSS named color steelblue, but steelblue (#4682B4) is the closest CSS named color.

#4E88B2 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #4E88B2

Not just a swatch — here's how #4E88B2 works with other colors. Named schemes with #4E88B2 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #4E88B2 Accent #A5C4C0 Surface #DEDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1F344A

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #4E88B2 Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7C93A6 Anchor #2E3236

Steel Blue keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #4E88B2 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #78ADD4

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 #4E88B2 Secondary #7F4439 Surface #E2DDC0 Accent #375245 Anchor #57233C

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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #4E88B2 Secondary #9CAFBF 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 #4E88B2 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 24/100

Cool

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

Softness 52/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 39/100

Low

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

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 55/100

Moderate

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 46/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 24/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 81/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 36/100

Low

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 79/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #4E88B2

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #4E88B2 with

Verdigris 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 4.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #DEE7ED for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #4E67B1 — 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 #4E88B2 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: #4E88B2;
  --color-base-rgb: 78 136 178;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(60.5% 0.089 241.7);
  --color-50: #F4F8FB;
  --color-100: #E2ECF3;
  --color-200: #C6D9E6;
  --color-300: #9EBCD1;
  --color-400: #799EB9;
  --color-500: #58809D;
  --color-600: #496579;
  --color-700: #384A57;
  --color-800: #27323A;
  --color-900: #191F24;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  steel-blue: {
    50: '#F4F8FB',
    100: '#E2ECF3',
    200: '#C6D9E6',
    300: '#9EBCD1',
    400: '#799EB9',
    500: '#58809D',
    600: '#496579',
    700: '#384A57',
    800: '#27323A',
    900: '#191F24',
  },
}

$base: #4E88B2;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F8FB;
$base-100: #E2ECF3;
$base-200: #C6D9E6;
$base-300: #9EBCD1;
$base-400: #799EB9;
$base-500: #58809D;
$base-600: #496579;
$base-700: #384A57;
$base-800: #27323A;
$base-900: #191F24;
$base-hover: #3E6D8E;
$base-subtle: #CDDBE4;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#4E88B2",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F8FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E2ECF3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C6D9E6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9EBCD1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#799EB9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#58809D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#496579",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#384A57",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#27323A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#191F24",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #4E88B2

Color Lab

Pairs with #4E88B2

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export