← Shades of blue

≈ Droplet

#ADD5FE is closest to Droplet in our library. Droplet (#ADD5FE) is a very light, muted blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 210° and a lightness of 86%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.

#ADD5FE≈ Droplet
Conversion

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

Description

Droplet (#ADD5FE) is a very light, muted blue with a cool feel. It has a hue angle of 210° and a lightness of 86%. Its muted saturation keeps it calm and sophisticated, easy to live with in large areas.

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 light shade, Droplet feels airy and gentle.

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

Droplet 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 Droplet has a contrast ratio of 1.52:1 (fails); black text has 13.72:1 (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#F3F7FC100#E2ECF7200#ADD5FE300#A9C4E0400#83A5C8500#648AB0600#4F7295700#3D5B79800#2C455D900#1F3245950#0E1C29
Analogous
Complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square

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

#ADD5FE
Typical visionAs most people see it
#C5D6FF
ProtanopiaReduced sensitivity to red
#BCCDFD
DeuteranopiaReduced sensitivity to green
#94DEE2
TritanopiaReduced sensitivity to blue
#D1D1D1
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.
1.52:1
AAAAA
Normal textFailFail
Large textFailFail
Black textQuote n. 31: there is no such thing as a bad color.
13.72:1
AAAAA
Normal textAAAAA
Large textAAAAA
Open the contrast checker
#ADD5FE Color — closest to Droplet (HEX, RGB, Shades) · Tintly