Blue color · XKCD survey name

Ocean Blue Color Code: #03719C

The HEX code for Ocean Blue is #03719C. It is a medium-dark, vivid azure color made of 3 red, 113 green and 156 blue (HSL 197°, 96%, 31%). White text reads comfortably on it (5.46:1 contrast).

Ocean Blue color values

HEX #03719C
RGB rgb(3, 113, 156)
HSL hsl(197, 96%, 31%)
HSV 197, 98%, 61%
HWB hwb(197 1% 39%)
CMYK 98%, 28%, 0%, 39%
Decimal 225692
31%HSL lightness (medium-dark)
96%HSL saturation (vivid)
197°Hue angle (azure)
0.142Relative luminance

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

What is Ocean Blue?

“Ocean Blue” 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 197° places it in the azure part of the color wheel, with 96% saturation (vivid) and 31% lightness (medium-dark). It is a cool color.

Compared with the other blue colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 18% of them and more saturated than 62% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.142, 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 Blue counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 31% and its relative luminance is 0.142. White text reads comfortably on it (5.46:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Ocean Blue

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Ocean Blue
TextPreviewRatioAA normalAA largeAAA normalAAA large
White text Sample text 5.46:1 Good Pass Pass Fail Pass
Black text Sample text 3.84:1 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 Blue

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.

#01161E#01161E
#024864#024864
#037BAA#037BAA
#05AEF0#05AEF0
#41C7FB#41C7FB

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 Blue

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 Blue

  • Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (5.46:1 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
  • Corporate, finance and software branding
  • Headers and navigation bars
  • Charts and dashboards

Use Ocean Blue in CSS

:root {
  --color-ocean-blue: #03719C;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-ocean-blue);
  background-color: #03719C;
  border: 2px solid #03719C;
}

Questions about Ocean Blue

What is the HEX code for Ocean Blue?

Ocean Blue is #03719C.

What is the RGB value of Ocean Blue?

The RGB value of Ocean Blue is 3, 113, 156: 3 red, 113 green and 156 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(3, 113, 156) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Ocean Blue?

The HSL value of Ocean Blue is 197°, 96%, 31% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(197, 96%, 31%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Ocean Blue?

A standard conversion gives about C 98%, M 28%, Y 0%, K 39%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Ocean Blue a light or dark color?

Ocean Blue counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 31% and its relative luminance is 0.142. White text reads comfortably on it (5.46:1 contrast).

How does Ocean Blue look with white text?

White text on Ocean Blue has a contrast ratio of 5.46:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Ocean Blue look with black text?

Black text on Ocean Blue has a contrast ratio of 3.84:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

What colors go well with Ocean Blue?

Auburn 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 Blue be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (5.46:1 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 Blue in CSS?

Use color: #03719C; for text, background-color: #03719C; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-ocean-blue: #03719C; and reuse it with var(--color-ocean-blue).

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.