#7AB8D8
#A8D0E0
#C8DCE8
#2E5E82
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Meltwater Blue Color Palette

#7AB8D8 · #A8D0E0 · #C8DCE8 · #2E5E82

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.2:1
Contrast Ratio
870
Saves
2,675
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #7AB8D8 as the background. Use #A8D0E0 as the primary accent. Use #C8DCE8 as secondary. Use #2E5E82 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Meltwater Blue — ocean, cool, mono, pastel.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Meltwater 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: 43.4%
122, 184, 216 44%, 15%, 0%, 15% 200°, 55%, 66%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 58.8%
168, 208, 224 25%, 7%, 0%, 12% 197°, 47%, 77%
Secondary
Luminance: 69.3%
200, 220, 232 14%, 5%, 0%, 9% 202°, 41%, 85%
Body Text
Luminance: 10.2%
46, 94, 130 65%, 28%, 0%, 49% 206°, 48%, 35%

Meltwater 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 Meltwater Blue palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#7AB8D8 gently saturated cyan-blue
#A8D0E0 gently saturated cyan-blue
#C8DCE8 gently saturated cyan-blue
#2E5E82 gently saturated cyan-blue

Meltwater 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
#2E5E82 on #C8DCE8
Aa Sample Text
4.89:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8DCE8 on #2E5E82
Aa Sample Text
4.89:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E5E82 on #A8D0E0
Aa Sample Text
4.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#A8D0E0 on #2E5E82
Aa Sample Text
4.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E5E82 on #7AB8D8
Aa Sample Text
3.18:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#7AB8D8 on #2E5E82
Aa Sample Text
3.18:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#C8DCE8 on #7AB8D8
Aa Sample Text
1.54:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7AB8D8 on #C8DCE8
Aa Sample Text
1.54:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8D0E0 on #7AB8D8
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#7AB8D8 on #A8D0E0
Aa Sample Text
1.32:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8DCE8 on #A8D0E0
Aa Sample Text
1.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8D0E0 on #C8DCE8
Aa Sample Text
1.16:1 Fail Decorative use only

Meltwater Blue Color Psychology & Meaning

Glacial meltwater carries rock flour so fine it turns lakes and coastal water an opaque pale turquoise, and this palette is glacial blue with ice white. It feels cold and milky, the color of blue with a mineral in it.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Meltwater 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

Suspended rock flour from grinding glaciers scatters light strongly, which is why meltwater lakes look milky turquoise rather than clear, and the effect fades as the particles settle.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the glacial blue for wide surfaces, meltwater pale for buttons and links, ice white for secondary details, and cold depth for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Travel and marine tourism, sailing, coastal hospitality, diving.

Colors That Pair Well With Meltwater 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 #A8D0E0 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

blue

30° beside #A8D0E0 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using Meltwater Blue Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #A8D0E0 for small UI elements on #7AB8D8 — at 1.3:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E5E82 on #7AB8D8 — 3.2:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Don't use #C8DCE8 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Meltwater Blue Color Scheme

To use this Meltwater 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 #7AB8D8 for the main background and #A8D0E0 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E5E82 and #7AB8D8 is 3.18:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Meltwater Blue Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Meltwater Blue palette contains #7AB8D8, #A8D0E0, #C8DCE8, #2E5E82. 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 Meltwater Blue color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E5E82 on #C8DCE8 reaches 4.9:1 (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 Meltwater Blue palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #D6A38F, #AFB8DA, #121517 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 Meltwater Blue palette create?

Meltwater Blue reads as ocean, cool, mono. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Meltwater Blue color palette commercially?

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

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