Cyan vs Sky Blue

Cyan and Sky Blue are both cyans, but they are not the same color: the measured difference between their classic values is ΔE 18.1, clearly different colors.

Cyan

RGB: 0, 255, 255
HSL: 180, 100%, 50%
OKLCH: 90.5% 0.155 194.8

Temperature: cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Cyan

Sky Blue

RGB: 135, 206, 235
HSL: 197, 71%, 73%
OKLCH: 81.5% 0.082 225.8

Temperature: cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Below Zero

Measured difference: ΔE 18.1 · clearly different colors. ΔE is a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart.

Guide

How to tell Cyan and Sky Blue apart

1 Cyan is measurably lighter (9 points of OKLCH lightness). Squint: the one that survives is Sky Blue.
2 Cyan carries more chroma, so it reads more saturated. Sky Blue looks grayer in direct comparison.
3 Their hues sit 31 degrees apart on the wheel. Put them on white side by side and the hue gap is the first thing you see.

Guide

When to use which

Cyan is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Sky Blue is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Palettes

Their palettes, side by side

Cyan complementary palette

Sky Blue complementary palette

Cyan analogous palette

Sky Blue analogous palette

FAQ

FAQs

Are Cyan and Sky Blue the same color?

No. Using their classic reference values, they differ by ΔE 18.1 (a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart). That makes them clearly different colors.

Which is darker, Cyan or Sky Blue?

Sky Blue is darker: 9 points lower in OKLCH lightness than Cyan.