#4682B4Steel Blue (#4682B4) is a mid-tone, soft blue with an OKLCH hue of 246°, lightness 0.59 and chroma 0.099. 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 | #4682B4 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(70, 130, 180) |
| HSL | hsl(207, 44%, 49%) |
| HSV | hsv(207, 61%, 71%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(61%, 28%, 0%, 29%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(52.5 -4.1 -32.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.588 0.099 246) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Steel Blue shifts subtly: leans toward purple, loses intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.9), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#527fa9 — ΔE 1.9, shifts subtly: leans toward purple, loses intensity#4d83b1 — ΔE 0.9, is virtually unchanged#4682b4 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#4583b6 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedAgainst white it measures 4.11:1 and against black 5.11:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text.
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.
#aed9ff · #7eb2df · #4682b4 · #2e6794 · #0c436b · #00233e
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.
#64aebe · #4f99ba · #4682b4 · #4d6ba0 · #4f5589 · #4c4170
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.
#c1acf2 · #9e95b6 · #4682b4 · #33648d · #1a486c · #2e2442
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.
#cee8ff · #e2a970 · #4682b4 · #505f6d · #25425a · #152533
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f9f0e8 · #8e99a3 · #4682b4 · #67625c · #1f2a34 · #020100
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.
#f9f0e7 · #d5cac0 · #ada195 · #3d2f20 · #1b0d01 · #4682b4
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#ffefdf · #ba8e62 · #4682b4 · #885519 · #3d2100 · #000614
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#d4dcb7 · #df9e80 · #4682b4 · #6c684d · #483237 · #0b0b26
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffecf0 · #c28390 · #4682b4 · #556c27 · #202e00 · #0d0002
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffebf9 · #b785ab · #4682b4 · #885519 · #003219 · #150600
#6195C2 · #7CA8D0 · #96BCDE · #B0D0EC · #CBE3FA
#356B98 · #24557D · #134062 · #022C49 · #00192F
#5481A9 · #60819D · #6B7F91
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.