#538EAB Hex Color
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Muted and cool, #538eab is an ashy blue with low saturation and a steady, professional feel. Its restrained lightness supports branding for finance, technology, healthcare, and government, especially as a supporting tone beside navy or warm gray. The hex code #538eab also works behind small body text with black, meeting WCAG AA contrast requirements at about 5.8:1.
Questions about #538eab
What is #538eab in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #538eab is rgb(83, 142, 171), in HSL hsl(200, 35%, 50%) and in CMYK 51%, 17%, 0%, 33%.
What colors pair well with #538eab?
Is #538eab warm or cool?
#538eab reads as a cool, muted blue because its blue channel is strongest and its saturation is restrained by a noticeable gray cast. That combination gives it a steady, professional mood rather than a bright or playful one.
Is #538eab readable on white or black?
#538eab has a 3.60:1 contrast ratio on white and 5.82:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works only for large text (24px, or 18.5px bold) and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.