#007BA7
#5BA8C9
#BFE3EE
#0A2E3F
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Cerulean Blue Color Palette

#007BA7 · #5BA8C9 · #BFE3EE · #0A2E3F

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.0:1
Contrast Ratio
1,580
Saves
4,120
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #007BA7 as the background. Use #5BA8C9 as the primary accent. Use #BFE3EE as secondary. Use #0A2E3F as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Cerulean Blue — calm, fresh, modern.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Cerulean Blue color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).

Swatch Design Role HEX RGB CMYK HSL
Background
Luminance: 17.0%
0, 123, 167 100%, 26%, 0%, 35% 196°, 100%, 33%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 34.4%
91, 168, 201 55%, 16%, 0%, 21% 198°, 50%, 57%
Secondary
Luminance: 72.2%
191, 227, 238 20%, 5%, 0%, 7% 194°, 58%, 84%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.4%
10, 46, 63 84%, 27%, 0%, 75% 199°, 73%, 14%

Cerulean Blue Tints & Shades

Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Cerulean Blue palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#007BA7 saturated cyan-blue
#5BA8C9 gently saturated cyan-blue
#BFE3EE gently saturated cyan-blue
#0A2E3F saturated cyan-blue

Cerulean Blue Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)

Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.

Text on Background Preview Ratio Grade Safe For
#0A2E3F on #BFE3EE
Aa Sample Text
10.46:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#BFE3EE on #0A2E3F
Aa Sample Text
10.46:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#0A2E3F on #5BA8C9
Aa Sample Text
5.35:1 AA Body text, UI
#5BA8C9 on #0A2E3F
Aa Sample Text
5.35:1 AA Body text, UI
#BFE3EE on #007BA7
Aa Sample Text
3.52:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#007BA7 on #BFE3EE
Aa Sample Text
3.52:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#0A2E3F on #007BA7
Aa Sample Text
2.98:1 Fail Decorative use only
#007BA7 on #0A2E3F
Aa Sample Text
2.98:1 Fail Decorative use only
#BFE3EE on #5BA8C9
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5BA8C9 on #BFE3EE
Aa Sample Text
1.96:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5BA8C9 on #007BA7
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only
#007BA7 on #5BA8C9
Aa Sample Text
1.80:1 Fail Decorative use only

Cerulean Blue Color Psychology & Meaning

Cerulean is the blue of a cloudless high-summer sky, and it carries that openness with it. It reads as trustworthy and serene without the heaviness of navy, which makes it a favorite for brands that want clarity and approachability in equal measure.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Cerulean Blue palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.

History & Design Context

The name comes from the Latin caeruleus, meaning sky blue, and the pigment was first synthesized in 1805 by Andreas Höpfner in Germany. It quickly replaced the more expensive cobalt and became a staple of landscape painters like Monet.

Best Design Use Cases

Use cerulean for hero sections and trust-building surfaces like headers and signup areas. Pair the deep ink tone for text, and keep the pale sky tone for backgrounds that need to feel open and light.

Industries This Palette Suits

Wellness, travel, SaaS, education, environmental, aviation.

Colors That Pair Well With Cerulean Blue

Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.

orange

directly opposite #5BA8C9 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #5BA8C9 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Cerulean Blue Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #5BA8C9 for small UI elements on #007BA7 — at 1.8:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #0A2E3F on #007BA7 — 3.0:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #BFE3EE behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Cerulean Blue Color Scheme

To use this Cerulean Blue color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.

Option 1: CSS Variables

:root { 
  /* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'}  --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'}  --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'}  --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'}  --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}

Web Design Tip

Use #007BA7 for the main background and #5BA8C9 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #0A2E3F and #007BA7 is 2.98:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Cerulean Blue Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Cerulean Blue color palette?

The Cerulean Blue palette contains #007BA7, #5BA8C9, #BFE3EE, #0A2E3F. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.

Is the Cerulean Blue color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #0A2E3F on #BFE3EE reaches 10.5:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.

What colors go well with the Cerulean Blue palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #C87B5B, #6577BD, #E9EFF2 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.

What mood does the Cerulean Blue palette create?

Cerulean Blue reads as calm, fresh, modern. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Cerulean Blue color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Cerulean Blue palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.

How do I add the Cerulean Blue palette to Tailwind or CSS?

Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Cerulean Blue's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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