← Shades of blue

≈ Cousteau

#53A9D1 is closest to Cousteau in our library. Cousteau (#53A9D1) is a light, moderately saturated blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 199° and a lightness of 70%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

#53A9D1≈ Cousteau
Conversion

What Cousteau looks like, feels like and where it works.

Description

Cousteau (#53A9D1) is a light, moderately saturated blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 199° and a lightness of 70%. Its moderate saturation keeps it lively without shouting.

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, Cousteau 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

Cousteau is an easy supporting color. Dark text is easy to read on it, so it works as a surface, highlight or card background. 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 Cousteau has a contrast ratio of 2.63:1 (fails); black text has 7.96:1 (AAA). 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#EFF9FE100#DBEFF9200#BDE1F4300#92CAE7400#53A9D1500#3991B8600#22789C700#12607F800#074962900#023549950#001E2C
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#53A9D1
Typical visionAs most people see it
#95A7D3
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#839AD0
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#00B4B6
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#9F9F9F
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.
2.63:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
7.96:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#53A9D1 Color — closest to Cousteau (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly