Swimming Color Psychology & Meaning
Swimming aqua is chlorine and lane lines — these specific teals are the color of competition pools, of water that has been optimized for speed rather than beauty.
#E0F7FA
#00BCD4
#00697A
#003B44
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Swimming Color Palette
#E0F7FA · #00BCD4 · #00697A · #003B44
AAA
WCAG Grade
11.0:1
Contrast Ratio
2,100
Saves
5,700
AI Copies
Use #E0F7FA as the background. Use #00BCD4 as the primary accent. Use #00697A as secondary. Use #003B44 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Swimming — fresh, clean, athletic.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Swimming 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: 89.3% | 224, 247, 250 | 10%, 1%, 0%, 2% | 187°, 72%, 93% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 40.7% | 0, 188, 212 | 100%, 11%, 0%, 17% | 187°, 100%, 42% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 11.5% | 0, 105, 122 | 100%, 14%, 0%, 52% | 188°, 100%, 24% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 3.5% | 0, 59, 68 | 100%, 13%, 0%, 73% | 188°, 100%, 13% |
Swimming 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 Swimming palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#E0F7FA saturated teal
#00BCD4 saturated teal
#00697A saturated teal
#003B44 saturated teal
Swimming 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #003B44 on #E0F7FA |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.03:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E0F7FA on #003B44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.03:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #00697A on #E0F7FA |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.71:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #E0F7FA on #00697A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.71:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #003B44 on #00BCD4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.35:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #00BCD4 on #003B44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.35:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #00697A on #00BCD4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.77:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #00BCD4 on #00697A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.77:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #00BCD4 on #E0F7FA |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.06:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E0F7FA on #00BCD4 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.06:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #003B44 on #00697A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.93:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #00697A on #003B44 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.93:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Swimming 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
Competitive swimming visual identities draw from the specific blue-green of competition pools (treated water with white tile) and the primary colors of competitive swimwear brands.
Best Design Use Cases
Near-white teal for surfaces. Bright pool-blue for primary elements. Deep teal for secondary. Darkest teal for text. Clean and aquatic.
Industries This Palette Suits
Swimming brands, aquatic sports, wellness facilities, water brands, Olympic sports.
Colors That Pair Well With Swimming
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 #00BCD4 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
blue
30° beside #00BCD4 — 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 Swimming Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #00BCD4 for small UI elements on #E0F7FA — at 2.1:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #003B44 — 11.0:1 against #E0F7FA passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #00697A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a deep lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #00BCD4.
How to Implement the Swimming Color Scheme
To use this Swimming 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 #E0F7FA for the main background and #00BCD4 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #003B44 and #E0F7FA is 11.03:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Swimming Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Swimming color palette?
The Swimming palette contains #E0F7FA, #00BCD4, #00697A, #003B44. 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 Swimming color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #003B44 on #E0F7FA reaches 11.0:1 (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 Swimming palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #D61900, #0B55CB, #111718 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 Swimming palette create?
Swimming reads as fresh, clean, athletic. Saturated teal drives the personality, grounded by saturated teal — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Swimming color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Swimming 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 Swimming 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 Swimming's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.