#0000CD
Blue family

Medium Blue

Also known as: vivid · strong · balanced · trustworthy · calming
Save
Hex #0000CD
RGB rgb(0, 0, 205)
HSL hsl(240°, 100%, 40%)
CMYK 100 · 100 · 0 · 20
CSS mediumblue

Meaning

In Western culture, Medium Blue is often associated with trust, stability, and calmness. Conversely, in some Eastern traditions, blue can symbolize immortality and spirituality, reflecting its varied significance across cultures.

The term 'medium blue' gained prominence in the 20th century as color theory developed, particularly in the 1950s with the rise of modern design. The use of cobalt in glassmaking dates back to ancient Egypt, showcasing the color's long-standing allure and cultural importance.

vividstrongbalancedtrustworthycalming

Similar colors

Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Medium Blue. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).

All 45 Blues →

Shades & tints

Nine steps of Medium Blue by lightness — from #00006B (darkest) to #7A7AE5 (lightest). Click any to copy.

-40% #00006B
-30% #000083
-20% #00009C
-10% #0000B4
BASE #0000CD
+15% #1F1FD3
+30% #3D3DD9
+50% #5C5CDF
+70% #7A7AE5

Complementary

Sitting opposite Medium Blue at 60° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.

Palettes

Curated 5-color combinations featuring Medium Blue.

#0000CD
#00BFFF
#F0F8FF
#1E90FF
#4682B4

Ocean Serenity

Calm waters
#0000CD
#FFD700
#FFFFFF
#B0C4DE
#5F9EA0

Sky High

Bright day
#0000CD
#4B0082
#2F4F4F
#708090
#A9A9A9

Nightfall Glow

Mystical dusk

Medium Blue scale

A 50–900 tonal scale with Medium Blue anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.

50 #EBEBFB
100 #D1D1F6
200 #9E9EEC
300 #6B6BE2
400 #3636D8
500 #0000CD
600 #0000A8
700 #000087
800 #000067
900 #000046

Accessibility

Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.

Aa Best text color: #FFFFFF · 11.16:1
Medium Blue as text on… Ratio AA AAA
Aa White background 11.16:1 Pass Pass
Aa Black background 1.88:1 Fail Fail

Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.

How to use #0000CD

Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.

CSS color: mediumblue;
CSS color-mix (lighten 30%) color-mix(in srgb, mediumblue 70%, white)
HSV / HSB 240°, 100%, 80%
CMYK (print) 100, 100, 0, 20
Decimal 205
Nearest web-safe #0000CC

Color vision

How Medium Blue appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.

Normal vision

#0000CD

Protanopia (no red)

#00009B

Deuteranopia (no green)

#000090

Tritanopia (no blue)

#00746C
Glaucous
42 / 45 Blues Verdigris
Copied!