Cerulean color guide

#2A52BE
HEX
#2A52BE
RGB
rgb(42, 82, 190)
HSL
hsl(224, 64%, 45%)
CMYK
cmyk(78%, 57%, 0%, 25%)

A clean mid-blue that sits between sky and royal — bright enough to feel open, dark enough to hold white text.

Best for
Editorial headers and large type.

Accessibility

Cerulean text on whiteAA
Sample6.89:1
White text on ceruleanAA
Sample6.89:1
Cerulean text on blackAA Large
Sample3.05:1
Black text on ceruleanAA Large
Sample3.05:1

Ratios follow WCAG 2.1. AA needs 4.5:1 for body text, AAA needs 7:1; large text passes AA at 3:1.

Colors that go with cerulean

Combinations that hold up in a real layout rather than only on the colour wheel.

Cerulean color harmonies

Complementary
The opposite hue — highest contrast, best used sparingly.
#2A52BE #BC9529
Analogous
Neighbouring hues that sit together calmly.
#299ABC #2A52BE #4C29BC
Triadic
Three evenly spaced hues — vivid but balanced.
#2A52BE #BC2950 #50BC29
Split complementary
Softer than complementary, with the same tension.
#2A52BE #BC4C29 #9ABC29

Cerulean shades and tints

The same hue and saturation across ten lightness steps — the basis of a usable colour ramp in a design system.

#EAEEFA#C0CDF1#96ACE8#6D8BDF#436AD6#2950BC#203F92#172D69#0E1B3F#070E21

Cerulean FAQ

What is the hex code for cerulean?

Cerulean is #2A52BE. In other formats that is rgb(42, 82, 190), hsl(224, 64%, 45%), and approximately cmyk(78%, 57%, 0%, 25%) for print.

What colors go with cerulean?

White, Coral, Sand all pair well with cerulean. Editorial headers and large type.

Is cerulean accessible for text?

Yes — cerulean text on white reaches 6.89:1, which passes WCAG AA for body text.

Should text on cerulean be black or white?

Use white text. It gives the higher contrast ratio of the two against #2A52BE.

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