#38bdf8
#38bdf8 is rgb(56, 189, 248), or hsl(198, 93%, 60%). The nearest reference Tailwind v4 token is sky-400 (#00bcff), not an exact match.
Conversions
WCAG contrast
| Background | Ratio | AA text | AA large | AAA text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| white | 2.14:1 | fail | fail | fail |
| black | 9.80:1 | pass | pass | pass |
| slate-900 | 8.33:1 | pass | pass | pass |
| gray-100 | 1.95:1 | fail | fail | fail |
Ratios use WCAG relative luminance for opaque sRGB colors. Normal text requires 4.5:1, or 7:1 at AAA. Large text requires 3:1: at least 24 CSS pixels, or about 18.67 CSS pixels when bold. Pass/fail uses the unrounded ratio. Contrast alone is not a full accessibility assessment.
Colors paired with #38bdf8 in real UI palettes
These colors appear alongside #38bdf8 in StyleKit's curated palettes. Co-occurrence is not a promise of text readability; each pair includes its measured contrast.
- #fbbf24
Used together in Neo-Brutalist Soft, Neon Samurai.
1.28:1
Not for normal text - #06d6a0
Used together in Cyber Anime.
1.14:1
Not for normal text - #0a0a0a
Used together in Neon Samurai.
9.24:1
AA normal text - #0a0a14
Used together in Cyber Wafuu.
9.19:1
AA normal text - #0f0f1a
Used together in Cyber Anime.
8.88:1
AA normal text - #1a1a1a
Used together in Neo-Brutalist Soft.
8.12:1
AA normal text
A readable starting point
black text on #38bdf8: 9.80:1 contrast.
Design styles using this color
Tints and shades
Lightness ladder in HSL space, from the lightest tint to the darkest shade of #38bdf8.
Similar colors in the library
Nearest swatches by perceptual OKLab distance across all curated style palettes.
AI prompt snippet
Use #38bdf8 as the accent color, following the Cyber Anime style: rgb(56, 189, 248), nearest Tailwind token sky-400. Keep text contrast at least 4.5:1 (this color scores 2.14:1 on white, 9.8:1 on black).
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or v0 to use #38bdf8 with correct contrast constraints. Browse all palette colors.
Questions about #38bdf8
What color is #38bdf8?
#38bdf8 is rgb(56, 189, 248), or hsl(198, 93%, 60%). The nearest reference Tailwind v4 token is sky-400 (#00bcff), not an exact match.
What text color should I use on #38bdf8?
Black (#000000) has the higher black-or-white contrast against #38bdf8: 9.80:1. This calculation assumes opaque, flat sRGB colors. Normal text requires 4.5:1 and large text 3:1 under WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3; it is not a complete accessibility assessment.
How can I use exactly #38bdf8 in Tailwind CSS?
Use bg-[#38bdf8], text-[#38bdf8], or a CSS custom property instead of substituting a nearby named token. The reference palette is Tailwind CSS 4.1.18, converted from OKLCH to sRGB hex; newer Tailwind versions and custom themes can differ.
Sources and calculation limits
Reference palette: Tailwind CSS 4.1.18, converted from OKLCH to sRGB hex. Named tokens are versioned approximations; use the exact hex utilities when matching an existing design. Palette pairings come from the linked StyleKit definitions, not external popularity or preference data.