RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In France, French Blue symbolizes elegance and sophistication, often associated with the artistic movements of the late 19th century. While in Western cultures it evokes calmness and creativity, in some Eastern contexts, it can represent sadness or mourning.
The term 'French Blue' became prominent in the 18th century, particularly with the Sèvres porcelain factory, founded in 1740, which popularized this shade. The color gained further cultural significance through its use in military uniforms during the Napoleonic Wars, symbolizing valor and pride.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from French Blue. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 45 Blues →Nine steps of French Blue by lightness — from #003B61 (darkest) to #7AB6DC (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite French Blue at 23° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring French Blue.
Brands and institutions known for using French Blue.
A 50–900 tonal scale with French Blue anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #0072BB; color-mix(in srgb, #0072BB 70%, white) 203°, 100%, 73% 100, 39, 0, 27 29371 #0066CC How French Blue appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.