Cerulean
A bright and energetic electric blue
Cerulean is a bright, saturated blue with a clear, cool temperature. Because it carries high visual energy, it works best as a supporting accent rather than a full background. Pair it with soft, muted grays or charcoals to ground its intensity. With an 8.4:1 contrast ratio against black text, the hex code #55aaee remains readable for both UI components and graphic design details.
About Cerulean
Swimming pool water on a bright afternoon
What does cerulean mean?
Cerulean commonly brings clear skies and clean water to mind, so people often read it as open, trustworthy, and fresh. Its high lightness and medium saturation make it feel airy and open, not deep or heavy like darker blues.
Where you see cerulean
- swimming pool water
- a clear midday sky
- chalk pastels
- children's winter jackets
- gift wrap
- toothpaste boxes
What it works for
This blue works well for tech brands, healthcare interfaces, and packaging that wants a fresh, friendly tone.
What colors go with cerulean?
Coral #ff7f50Coral's warm orange sits opposite on the wheel, so both colors look stronger together.Sand #e2ca76Sand grounds the airy blue with a natural, low-key neutral from the same beach palette.Lavender #e6e6faLavender shares this blue's light, cool character and pushes it gently toward violet.Charcoal #36454fCharcoal gives the pale blue a firm anchor and keeps light layouts from washing out.Burnt Sienna #a93400Burnt sienna is dark and earthy, so the pale blue reads even fresher next to it.
Questions about Cerulean
What is the hex code for Cerulean?
Cerulean is #55aaee. In RGB that is rgb(85, 170, 238), in HSL hsl(207, 82%, 63%) and in CMYK 64%, 29%, 0%, 7%.
Is Cerulean readable on white or black?
Cerulean has a 2.50:1 contrast ratio on white and 8.37:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it is too faint for text and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.