#00FFFFAlso known as Aqua.
Cyan (#00FFFF) is a very light, saturated blue-green with an OKLCH hue of 195°, lightness 0.91 and chroma 0.155. It sits on the cool side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #00FFFF |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(0, 255, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(180, 100%, 50%) |
| HSV | hsv(180, 100%, 100%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(91.1 -48.1 -14.1) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.905 0.155 195) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Cyan shifts noticeably: leans toward green, loses intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 2.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#56faef — ΔE 2.6, shifts noticeably: leans toward green, loses intensity#3cfffa — ΔE 1.1, shifts subtly: leans toward green#00ffff — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#00ffff — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchangedAgainst white it measures 1.25:1 and against black 16.75:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.
One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.
#00ffff · #00e5e6 · #00b9b9 · #008f8f · #006767 · #004141
The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.
#d8f9ff · #00ffff · #32ebce · #54d49f · #6bbc75 · #7aa350
The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.
#00ffff · #97c5ef · #00b7b7 · #0e87d8 · #007474 · #1c4c74
One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.
#00ffff · #9ac6c5 · #d85d6d · #006767 · #004646 · #002727
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#00ffff · #d0bdbe · #738e8e · #5b4e4f · #062727 · #050001
This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.
#fceeee · #d6c5c6 · #ab9899 · #351f21 · #110103 · #00ffff
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#00ffff · #bad3b5 · #f331b6 · #4f6c49 · #3d2e4d · #160625
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#00ffff · #d0cca7 · #a67e70 · #954677 · #432f38 · #041108
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#00ffff · #cebad8 · #a470bb · #6f4900 · #301d00 · #04000a
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#00ffff · #bfbfe0 · #817ccf · #941b36 · #262200 · #180002
#5AFFFF · #7EFFFE · #99FFFE · #AFFFFE · #C3FFFE
#00D0D0 · #00A3A3 · #007878 · #004F4F · #002A2B
#6CF9F8 · #96F3F2 · #B5ECEB
Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.