Cyan

#00FFFF

Also known as: Looney Blue , Spanish Sky Blue , Crisp Cyan , Arctic Water

On screen, Cyan registers as clean and modern: a medium cyan at home in water themes and healthcare apps. Reach for a pink companion shade to give Cyan maximum contrast. For accessible text, use it on black or near-black backgrounds (16.75:1, passes WCAG AA) rather than white.

Reference

Cyan color codes

HEX: #00FFFF
RGB: rgb(0, 255, 255)
RGBA: rgba(0, 255, 255, 1)
HSL: hsl(180, 100%, 50%)
HSV: hsv(180, 100%, 100%)
CMYK: cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%)
LAB: lab(90.7 -50.7 -15.0)
OKLCH: oklch(90.5% 0.155 194.8)

Analysis

Color intelligence

sRGB safe

Gamut

The full range of colors a device or space can show. sRGB is the common screen gamut; Display P3 is wider. A color outside a gamut cannot be shown accurately there and must be mapped inward.Full glossary entry →

Displays accurately on every screen and translates well to print.

Temperature

Undertone

The subtle secondary bias in a color that seems neutral. A gray can have a blue or green undertone; a white can lean warm or cool. Undertones decide whether two near-neutrals clash or agree.Full glossary entry →

CoolWarm

cool

Nearest standard colors

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Delta E (ΔE)
A measure of how different two colors look. Below 1 the difference is invisible to almost everyone; below 2.3 most people can't tell them apart; above 10 they are clearly different colors. We use CIEDE2000, the modern standard.Full glossary entry →

CSS: aqua #00FFFF · ΔE 0.0
RAL 6027: Light green #81C0BB · ΔE 16.4 · approximate

RAL values are widely published approximations of the physical standard. For Pantone-adjacent workflows, match by eye against a physical fan deck. Pantone's values are proprietary and device-dependent, so we don't print lookups.

Where Cyan works

Web & UI: Reads as an interactive accent: fills, hovers, focus rings. Keep body text in a darker neutral.
Interiors: Use it where you want the eye to land: a front door, built-ins, or one bold wall.
Fashion: One garment in this color carries an outfit; two starts to compete.
Branding: The safest brand-primary family there is; differentiate with an unexpected accent.
Web & UI: Use it decoratively for dividers, chart series, and illustration accents, and let neutrals carry the type.
Branding: Best in a brand's supporting palette: packaging interiors, patterns, campaign accents.

Copy as: every ecosystem

Variations

Tints, shades, and tones of Cyan

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Tint
A color mixed with white, which raises its lightness. Pink is a tint of red. Tints feel softer and more open than the base color.Full glossary entry →

Tints (lighter)

Shades (darker)

Tones (muted)

Harmonies

Color harmonies

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Complementary colors
Two colors opposite each other on the wheel. They create the strongest contrast and make each other look more intense, so they work best used unevenly.Full glossary entry →

Palettes built from Cyan by rotating its hue in OKLCH space. Click any swatch to copy its hex code.

Complementary

Analogous

Triadic

Split-complementary

Tetradic

Monochromatic

Accessibility

Contrast & accessibility

Aa on white

contrast 1.25:1

AA fail AAA fail AA large fail

Aa on black

contrast 16.75:1

AA pass AAA pass AA large pass

Best text color on a Cyan background: #000000

Palettes

Palettes featuring Cyan

Cyan with its complement

Soft neighbors of Cyan

Cyan triad

Explore

Similar colors

Looking for maximum contrast instead? The complement of Cyan is closest to Love Fumes .

FAQ

Cyan FAQs

What color is Cyan?

Cyan is a medium cyan with the hex code #00FFFF. In HSL terms it has a hue of 180°, 100% saturation, and 50% lightness.

What is the hex code for Cyan?

The hex code for Cyan is #00FFFF. In RGB it's rgb(0, 255, 255), and in CMYK it's cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%).

What colors go well with Cyan?

Cyan pairs naturally with pink tones from its complementary harmony. Its own tints and shades always work as a monochrome scheme.

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