Cyan / Teal color · XKCD survey name

Ocean Color Code: #017B92

The HEX code for Ocean is #017B92. It is a dark, vivid cyan color made of 1 red, 123 green and 146 blue (HSL 190°, 99%, 29%). White text reads comfortably on it (4.94:1 contrast).

Ocean color values

HEX #017B92
RGB rgb(1, 123, 146)
HSL hsl(190, 99%, 29%)
HSV 190, 99%, 57%
HWB hwb(190 0% 43%)
CMYK 99%, 16%, 0%, 43%
Decimal 97170
29%HSL lightness (dark)
99%HSL saturation (vivid)
190°Hue angle (cyan)
0.163Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Ocean?

“Ocean” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.

Its hue angle of 190° places it in the cyan part of the color wheel, with 99% saturation (vivid) and 29% lightness (dark). It is a cool color.

Compared with the other cyan / teal colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 31% of them and more saturated than 46% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.163, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.

Ocean counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 29% and its relative luminance is 0.163. White text reads comfortably on it (4.94:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Ocean

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Ocean
TextPreviewRatioAA normalAA largeAAA normalAAA large
White text Sample text 4.94:1 Good Pass Pass Fail Pass
Black text Sample text 4.24:1 Limited Fail Pass Fail Fail

Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.

Colors that go with Ocean

Complementary color

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.

Analogous colors

Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.

Triadic colors

A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.

Split-complementary colors

Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.

Tetradic colors

A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.

Monochromatic variants

Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.

#001A1E#001A1E
#015565#015565
#0191AC#0191AC
#02CDF3#02CDF3
#3FDFFE#3FDFFE

A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.

Tints and shades of Ocean

Lighter tints (mixed with white)

Darker shades (mixed with black)

Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.

Where to use Ocean

  • Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.94:1 contrast)
  • Accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations
  • Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
  • Fresh accents against warm colors
  • Data-visualization series
  • Info states and links

Use Ocean in CSS

:root {
  --color-ocean: #017B92;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-ocean);
  background-color: #017B92;
  border: 2px solid #017B92;
}

Questions about Ocean

What is the HEX code for Ocean?

Ocean is #017B92.

What is the RGB value of Ocean?

The RGB value of Ocean is 1, 123, 146: 1 red, 123 green and 146 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(1, 123, 146) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Ocean?

The HSL value of Ocean is 190°, 99%, 29% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(190, 99%, 29%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Ocean?

A standard conversion gives about C 99%, M 16%, Y 0%, K 43%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Ocean a light or dark color?

Ocean counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 29% and its relative luminance is 0.163. White text reads comfortably on it (4.94:1 contrast).

How does Ocean look with white text?

White text on Ocean has a contrast ratio of 4.94:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Ocean look with black text?

Black text on Ocean has a contrast ratio of 4.24:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

What colors go well with Ocean?

Brick Red is its complementary color, and Viridian sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Ocean be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.94:1 contrast); accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations; large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough.

How do I use Ocean in CSS?

Use color: #017B92; for text, background-color: #017B92; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-ocean: #017B92; and reuse it with var(--color-ocean).

About this color page

Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.