#5A8F96 Hex Color
A calm dusty cyan with cool undertones
This dusty, muted cyan sits on the cooler side of the spectrum with a distinctly matte, ashy finish. Because it is highly unsaturated, the hex code #5a8f96 works best as a calm, unobtrusive background color rather than a focal point. It pairs well with warm charcoals or deep creams, providing enough contrast for readable body text in UI design without feeling aggressive or overly stark.
Questions about #5a8f96
What is #5a8f96 in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #5a8f96 is rgb(90, 143, 150), in HSL hsl(187, 25%, 47%) and in CMYK 40%, 5%, 0%, 41%. Browse more shades of blue with names and hex codes.
What colors pair best with #5a8f96 for a balanced palette?
#5a8f96 works exceptionally well when grounded by warm neutrals like charcoal or deep cream tones. Because this shade is desaturated and cool, it acts as a calming anchor, allowing those warmer, darker accents to provide necessary contrast for readable typography.
Is #5a8f96 suitable for use as a primary UI background?
Yes, #5a8f96 is an excellent choice for backgrounds because its muted, ashy quality prevents it from overpowering other design elements. It stays unobtrusive on the eyes, making it ideal for dashboard layouts or soft, modern landing pages that require a professional yet approachable aesthetic.
Is #5a8f96 readable on white or black?
#5a8f96 has a 3.61:1 contrast ratio on white and 5.80:1 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.