What color is #ADD5EE?

#ADD5EE is a light, soft cyan-blue. In RGB it is rgb(173, 213, 238), and in HSL hsl(203, 66%, 81%).

Is #ADD5EE accessible as text?

On white, #ADD5EE has a contrast ratio of 1.55:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 13.53:1 (passes). For text placed on #ADD5EE, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #ADD5EE?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is blue-200 (#BEDBFF).

What colors go well with #ADD5EE?

#ADD5EE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #EFC7AF. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #ADD5EE below.

Is #ADD5EE good for buttons?

#ADD5EE works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #ADD5EE — white text only reaches 1.55:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #ADD5EE the same as CSS lightblue?

No — #ADD5EE is not the CSS named color lightblue, but lightblue (#ADD8E6) is the closest CSS named color.

#ADD5EE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #ADD5EE

Not just a swatch — here's how #ADD5EE works with other colors. Named schemes with #ADD5EE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #ADD5EE Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7C93A6 Anchor #2E3236

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

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #ADD5EE Accent #A6C4C0 Surface #DEDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1F344A

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

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #ADD5EE Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B2B2A0 Ink #2A2723

Light Blue sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #ADD5EE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #D7FCFF

Light 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 Light Blue.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #ADD5EE Secondary #EFFDFF Support #969386 Ink #16140F

Light 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 Light Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #ADD5EE 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 34/100

Cool

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

Softness 77/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 14/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 27/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 20/100

Low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 21/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 12/100

Very low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 69/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 86/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #ADD5EE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #ADD5EE with

Pale Turquoise Wisteria Desert Sand Platinum Charcoal

UI roles & guardrails

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

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 12.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1F6FA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #AFC1EF — 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 #ADD5EE 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: #ADD5EE;
  --color-base-rgb: 173 213 238;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(85.3% 0.055 235.7);
  --color-50: #F2F9FD;
  --color-100: #DCEEF9;
  --color-200: #BBDCF1;
  --color-300: #8DC2E2;
  --color-400: #62A6D0;
  --color-500: #4088B5;
  --color-600: #386A8A;
  --color-700: #2D4E62;
  --color-800: #213440;
  --color-900: #162128;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-blue: {
    50: '#F2F9FD',
    100: '#DCEEF9',
    200: '#BBDCF1',
    300: '#8DC2E2',
    400: '#62A6D0',
    500: '#4088B5',
    600: '#386A8A',
    700: '#2D4E62',
    800: '#213440',
    900: '#162128',
  },
}

$base: #ADD5EE;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F2F9FD;
$base-100: #DCEEF9;
$base-200: #BBDCF1;
$base-300: #8DC2E2;
$base-400: #62A6D0;
$base-500: #4088B5;
$base-600: #386A8A;
$base-700: #2D4E62;
$base-800: #213440;
$base-900: #162128;
$base-hover: #6AB3E0;
$base-subtle: #E9F2F8;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#ADD5EE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F2F9FD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DCEEF9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#BBDCF1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#8DC2E2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#62A6D0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4088B5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#386A8A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#2D4E62",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#213440",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#162128",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #ADD5EE

Color Lab

Pairs with #ADD5EE

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export