What color is #538BCB?

#538BCB is a medium blue. In RGB it is rgb(83, 139, 203), and in HSL hsl(212, 54%, 56%).

Is #538BCB accessible as text?

On white, #538BCB has a contrast ratio of 3.55:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 5.92:1 (passes). For text placed on #538BCB, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #538BCB?

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

What colors go well with #538BCB?

#538BCB pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #CB9352. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #538BCB below.

Is #538BCB good for buttons?

#538BCB works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #538BCB — white text only reaches 3.55:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #538BCB the same as CSS steelblue?

No — #538BCB is not the CSS named color steelblue, but steelblue (#4682B4) is the closest CSS named color.

#538BCB Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #538BCB

Not just a swatch — here's how #538BCB works with other colors. Named schemes with #538BCB in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #538BCB Accent #A5C4C1 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #20344A

Ocean 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 #538BCB Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7D93A6 Anchor #2E3236

Ocean 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 #538BCB Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #7DB1EC

Ocean 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 Ocean Blue.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #538BCB Secondary #A2B5CC Support #959386 Ink #16140F

Ocean 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 Ocean Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #538BCB Anchor #3B2924 Surface #EAE5D0 Accent #799E78 Secondary #393933

Ocean Blue anchors this café scheme as the warm mid-tone, lifted by latte cream and a muted sage accent and grounded by espresso brown and a warm charcoal.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #538BCB 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 50/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 38/100

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 47/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 45/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 44/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 83/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 30/100

Low

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

Print safety 76/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #538BCB

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #538BCB with

Medium Turquoise Slate Blue Camel 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 5.2:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #E0E8F1 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #5262CB — 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 #538BCB 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: #538BCB;
  --color-base-rgb: 83 139 203;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(62.6% 0.114 252.9);
  --color-50: #F3F7FC;
  --color-100: #DFEAF6;
  --color-200: #C0D5EC;
  --color-300: #95B5DA;
  --color-400: #6C96C6;
  --color-500: #4B77AA;
  --color-600: #3F5F83;
  --color-700: #32465D;
  --color-800: #23303D;
  --color-900: #171E26;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  ocean-blue: {
    50: '#F3F7FC',
    100: '#DFEAF6',
    200: '#C0D5EC',
    300: '#95B5DA',
    400: '#6C96C6',
    500: '#4B77AA',
    600: '#3F5F83',
    700: '#32465D',
    800: '#23303D',
    900: '#171E26',
  },
}

$base: #538BCB;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F7FC;
$base-100: #DFEAF6;
$base-200: #C0D5EC;
$base-300: #95B5DA;
$base-400: #6C96C6;
$base-500: #4B77AA;
$base-600: #3F5F83;
$base-700: #32465D;
$base-800: #23303D;
$base-900: #171E26;
$base-hover: #356EB0;
$base-subtle: #D0DCEB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#538BCB",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F7FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DFEAF6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C0D5EC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#95B5DA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#6C96C6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4B77AA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#3F5F83",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#32465D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#23303D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#171E26",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #538BCB

Color Lab

Pairs with #538BCB

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export