#2E8EB0
#2EA0A0
#F0A040
#123A4A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Kingfisher Teal Color Palette

#2E8EB0 · #2EA0A0 · #F0A040 · #123A4A

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.2:1
Contrast Ratio
1,093
Saves
2,830
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #2E8EB0 as the background. Use #2EA0A0 as the primary accent. Use #F0A040 as secondary. Use #123A4A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Kingfisher Teal — ocean, neon, cool, vintage.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Kingfisher Teal 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: 23.1%
46, 142, 176 74%, 19%, 0%, 31% 196°, 59%, 44%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 28.3%
46, 160, 160 71%, 0%, 0%, 37% 180°, 55%, 40%
Secondary
Luminance: 44.0%
240, 160, 64 0%, 33%, 73%, 6% 33°, 85%, 60%
Body Text
Luminance: 3.6%
18, 58, 74 76%, 22%, 0%, 71% 197°, 61%, 18%

Kingfisher Teal 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 Kingfisher Teal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#2E8EB0 gently saturated cyan-blue
#2EA0A0 gently saturated teal
#F0A040 saturated orange
#123A4A gently saturated cyan-blue

Kingfisher Teal 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
#123A4A on #F0A040
Aa Sample Text
5.67:1 AA Body text, UI
#F0A040 on #123A4A
Aa Sample Text
5.67:1 AA Body text, UI
#123A4A on #2EA0A0
Aa Sample Text
3.85:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2EA0A0 on #123A4A
Aa Sample Text
3.85:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#123A4A on #2E8EB0
Aa Sample Text
3.24:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E8EB0 on #123A4A
Aa Sample Text
3.24:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#F0A040 on #2E8EB0
Aa Sample Text
1.75:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E8EB0 on #F0A040
Aa Sample Text
1.75:1 Fail Decorative use only
#F0A040 on #2EA0A0
Aa Sample Text
1.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2EA0A0 on #F0A040
Aa Sample Text
1.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2EA0A0 on #2E8EB0
Aa Sample Text
1.19:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E8EB0 on #2EA0A0
Aa Sample Text
1.19:1 Fail Decorative use only

Kingfisher Teal Color Psychology & Meaning

A kingfisher is a small bird whose back is a blue-teal brighter than most tropical fish, and it arrives as a flash over water, and this palette is kingfisher blue with beak orange. It feels vivid and sudden, the color of a colour that appears for half a second.

Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

The common kingfisher's blue is a structural colour produced by feather structure rather than pigment, which is why it does not fade in museum specimens the way pigment-based blues do.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the kingfisher blue for page backgrounds, river teal for calls to action, beak orange for card accents, and water dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Jewellery, resort wear, yachting, premium water and beverage brands.

Colors That Pair Well With Kingfisher Teal

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.

red

directly opposite #2EA0A0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

cyan-blue

30° beside #2EA0A0 — 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 Kingfisher Teal Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #2EA0A0 for small UI elements on #2E8EB0 — at 1.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #123A4A on #2E8EB0 — 3.2:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #F0A040 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Kingfisher Teal Color Scheme

To use this Kingfisher Teal 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 #2E8EB0 for the main background and #2EA0A0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #123A4A and #2E8EB0 is 3.24:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Kingfisher Teal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Kingfisher Teal color palette?

The Kingfisher Teal palette contains #2E8EB0, #2EA0A0, #F0A040, #123A4A. 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 Kingfisher Teal color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #123A4A on #F0A040 reaches 5.7:1 (AA). 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 Kingfisher Teal palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #9E2E2E, #386694, #EBEEF0 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 Kingfisher Teal palette create?

Kingfisher Teal reads as ocean, neon, cool. Gently saturated teal drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Kingfisher Teal color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Kingfisher Teal 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 Kingfisher Teal 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 Kingfisher Teal's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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