← Shades of blue

≈ Blue Jay

#1987DD is closest to Blue Jay in our library. Blue Jay (#1987DD) is a medium, vivid blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 206° and a lightness of 61%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.

#1987DD≈ Blue Jay
Conversion

What Blue Jay looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Blue Jay (#1987DD) is a medium, vivid blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 206° and a lightness of 61%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.

Psychology

Blue is the most widely liked color and the default for trust. It lowers the sense of urgency, so it suits products that ask for confidence: money, health and software. As a mid-toned shade, Blue Jay sits comfortably in the middle: present but not heavy.

Meaning

Blue stands for calm, stability, loyalty and the sky and sea. It is also the color of sadness in English (feeling blue) and, in some cultures, of protection.

Why use this color

Blue Jay is a confident accent. It is best as an accent, illustration or large heading color, with a lighter or darker partner for body text. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.

Applications
  • Finance, banking and insurance
  • Technology and software
  • Healthcare and corporate identity
  • Links and primary actions in interfaces
History

Egyptian blue, from about 2500 BC, is often called the first synthetic pigment. Ultramarine from lapis lazuli cost as much as gold; Prussian blue (about 1706) made deep blue affordable.

Accessibility

White text on Blue Jay has a contrast ratio of 3.78:1 (fails for body text); black text has 5.55:1 (AA). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Do not rely on color alone to carry meaning: pair it with text, an icon or a pattern.

ShadesMixed with black: darker and richer.
TintsMixed with white: lighter and softer.
TonesMixed with gray: quieter and less saturated.
HuesThe same lightness and strength, turned around the wheel.
TemperaturesPushed cooler on the left, warmer on the right.
50#F1F8FE100#DDEDFE200#C1DEFC300#93C6F9400#51A7F6500#1987DD600#1B72B9700#0A5B98800#024476900#003259950#011C34
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.

#1987DD
Typical visionAs most people see it
#5D8CE0
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#3D7BDB
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#009CA7
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#838383
AchromatopsiaNo color, only light and dark

These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.

White textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
3.78:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textAAFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
5.55:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAFail
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#1987DD Color — closest to Blue Jay (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly