Blue color · XKCD survey name
Pastel Blue Color Code: #A2BFFE
Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) is a light, vivid azure shade: RGB 162, 191, 254, HSL 221°, 98%, 82%. Black text reads best on it (11.41:1 contrast).
Pastel Blue color values
#A2BFFE
rgb(162, 191, 254)
hsl(221, 98%, 82%)
221, 36%, 100%
hwb(221 64% 0%)
36%, 25%, 0%, 0%
10665982
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Pastel Blue?
“Pastel 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 221° places it in the azure part of the color wheel, with 98% saturation (vivid) and 82% lightness (light). It is a cool color.
Compared with the other blue colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 93% of them and more saturated than 71% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.521, which makes it a light color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.
Pastel Blue counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 82% and its relative luminance is 0.521. Black text reads best on it (11.41:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Pastel Blue
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 1.83:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 11.41:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Pastel 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.
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 Pastel 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.
Similar colors
Where to use Pastel Blue
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (11.41:1 contrast with black)
- Links, buttons and primary interface accents
- Corporate, finance and software branding
- Headers and navigation bars
- Charts and dashboards
Use Pastel Blue in CSS
:root {
--color-pastel-blue: #A2BFFE;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-pastel-blue);
background-color: #A2BFFE;
border: 2px solid #A2BFFE;
}Questions about Pastel Blue
What is the HEX code for Pastel Blue?
Pastel Blue is #A2BFFE.
What is the RGB value of Pastel Blue?
The RGB value of Pastel Blue is 162, 191, 254: 162 red, 191 green and 254 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(162, 191, 254) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Pastel Blue?
The HSL value of Pastel Blue is 221°, 98%, 82% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(221, 98%, 82%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Pastel Blue?
A standard conversion gives about C 36%, M 25%, Y 0%, K 0%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Pastel Blue a light or dark color?
Pastel Blue counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 82% and its relative luminance is 0.521. Black text reads best on it (11.41:1 contrast).
How does Pastel Blue look with white text?
White text on Pastel Blue has a contrast ratio of 1.83:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Pastel Blue look with black text?
Black text on Pastel Blue has a contrast ratio of 11.41:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Pastel Blue?
Pale Peach is its complementary color, and Pale Sky Blue sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Pastel Blue be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (11.41:1 contrast with black); links, buttons and primary interface accents; corporate, finance and software branding.
How do I use Pastel Blue in CSS?
Use color: #A2BFFE; for text, background-color: #A2BFFE; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-pastel-blue: #A2BFFE; and reuse it with var(--color-pastel-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.