What color is #557D9F?

#557D9F is a medium, muted blue. In RGB it is rgb(85, 125, 159), and in HSL hsl(208, 30%, 48%).

Is #557D9F accessible as text?

On white, #557D9F has a contrast ratio of 4.36:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 4.82:1 (passes). For text placed on #557D9F, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #557D9F?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is mist-500 (#67787C).

What colors go well with #557D9F?

#557D9F pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #9F7856. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #557D9F below.

Is #557D9F good for buttons?

#557D9F works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #557D9F — white text only reaches 4.36:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #557D9F the same as CSS steelblue?

No — #557D9F is not the CSS named color steelblue, but steelblue (#4682B4) is the closest CSS named color.

#557D9F Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #557D9F

Not just a swatch — here's how #557D9F works with other colors. Named schemes with #557D9F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #557D9F Accent #A5C4C0 Surface #DEDBBF Secondary #9AA0A0 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.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #557D9F 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 #557D9F Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #7CA1C1

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 #557D9F Secondary #7F4438 Surface #E1DDC0 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 #557D9F Secondary #97A5B1 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 #557D9F 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 30/100

Cool

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

Softness 52/100

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 52/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 48/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 79/100

High

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

Surface fit 38/100

Low

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 84/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #557D9F

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #557D9F with

Verdigris Tanzanite Mocha Gainsboro Charcoal

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 white text at 4.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #DFE5EA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #56649F — 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 #557D9F 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: #557D9F;
  --color-base-rgb: 85 125 159;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(57.4% 0.069 245.1);
  --color-50: #F5F8FA;
  --color-100: #E4EBF1;
  --color-200: #CAD7E2;
  --color-300: #A4B9CB;
  --color-400: #809BB2;
  --color-500: #607C95;
  --color-600: #4E6274;
  --color-700: #3B4854;
  --color-800: #293138;
  --color-900: #1B1F23;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  steel-blue: {
    50: '#F5F8FA',
    100: '#E4EBF1',
    200: '#CAD7E2',
    300: '#A4B9CB',
    400: '#809BB2',
    500: '#607C95',
    600: '#4E6274',
    700: '#3B4854',
    800: '#293138',
    900: '#1B1F23',
  },
}

$base: #557D9F;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F8FA;
$base-100: #E4EBF1;
$base-200: #CAD7E2;
$base-300: #A4B9CB;
$base-400: #809BB2;
$base-500: #607C95;
$base-600: #4E6274;
$base-700: #3B4854;
$base-800: #293138;
$base-900: #1B1F23;
$base-hover: #45647F;
$base-subtle: #CED8E0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#557D9F",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F8FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E4EBF1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CAD7E2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A4B9CB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#809BB2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#607C95",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4E6274",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3B4854",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#293138",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1F23",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #557D9F

Color Lab

Pairs with #557D9F

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export