Blue color · CSS named color
Royal Blue Color Code: #4169E1
Royal Blue (#4169E1) is a medium, rich blue shade: RGB 65, 105, 225, HSL 225°, 73%, 57%. White text reads comfortably on it (4.84:1 contrast).
Royal Blue color values
#4169E1
rgb(65, 105, 225)
hsl(225, 73%, 57%)
225, 71%, 88%
hwb(225 25% 12%)
71%, 53%, 0%, 12%
4286945
royalblue
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Royal Blue?
Royal Blue is one of the named colors defined by the CSS Color specifications (keyword “royalblue”), so every modern browser understands it without a hex code.
Its hue angle of 225° places it in the blue part of the color wheel, with 73% saturation (rich) and 57% lightness (medium). It is a cool color.
Compared with the other blue colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 71% of them and more saturated than 37% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.167, 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.
Royal Blue counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 57% and its relative luminance is 0.167. White text reads comfortably on it (4.84:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Royal Blue
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 4.84:1 Good | Pass | Pass | Fail | Pass |
| Black text | Sample text | 4.33:1 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 Royal 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 Royal 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 Royal Blue
- Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.84:1 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
- Links, buttons and primary interface accents
- Corporate, finance and software branding
- Headers and navigation bars
Royal Blue appears in these curated palettes: Royal and Gold (Blue Color Palettes), Blue and Orange (Blue Color Palettes), Dashboard (UI Color Palettes).
Use Royal Blue in CSS
:root {
--color-royal-blue: #4169E1;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-royal-blue);
background-color: #4169E1;
border: 2px solid #4169E1;
}Questions about Royal Blue
What is the HEX code for Royal Blue?
Royal Blue is #4169E1.
What is the RGB value of Royal Blue?
The RGB value of Royal Blue is 65, 105, 225: 65 red, 105 green and 225 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(65, 105, 225) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Royal Blue?
The HSL value of Royal Blue is 225°, 73%, 57% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(225, 73%, 57%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Royal Blue?
A standard conversion gives about C 71%, M 53%, Y 0%, K 12%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Royal Blue a light or dark color?
Royal Blue counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 57% and its relative luminance is 0.167. White text reads comfortably on it (4.84:1 contrast).
How does Royal Blue look with white text?
White text on Royal Blue has a contrast ratio of 4.84:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
How does Royal Blue look with black text?
Black text on Royal Blue has a contrast ratio of 4.33:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.
What colors go well with Royal Blue?
Maize is its complementary color, and Bright 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 Royal Blue be used?
It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (4.84:1 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 Royal Blue in CSS?
Use color: #4169E1; for text, background-color: #4169E1; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-royal-blue: #4169E1; and reuse it with var(--color-royal-blue).
About this color page
CSS named color (W3C CSS Color Module). 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.