Baby blue color: code #89CFF0

Baby blue

#89CFF0

Color codes

  • HEX#89CFF0
  • RGBrgb(137, 207, 240)
  • HSLhsl(199, 77%, 74%)
  • HSVhsv(199, 43%, 94%)
  • CMYKcmyk(43%, 14%, 0%, 6%)
  • LABlab(79.8% -13.6 -23.1)
  • OKLCHoklch(82% 0.084 229.3)

About the color Baby blue

Baby blue has the HEX code #89CFF0, which corresponds to rgb(137, 207, 240) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 199°, with 77% saturation and 74% lightness (hsl(199, 77%, 74%)).

Because of its hue it reads as a cool color: it tends to feel calm and distant, and it visually “recedes” in a composition.

As a background it calls for dark text: black reaches a 12.24:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 1.71:1 for white.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(43%, 14%, 0%, 6%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Baby blue

Complementary

#89CFF0 · #F0AA8A

Analogous

#8AF0DD · #89CFF0 · #8A9CF0

Triadic

#89CFF0 · #F08ACF · #CFF08A

Tetradic

#89CFF0 · #DD8AF0 · #F0AA8A · #9CF08A

Split-complementary

#89CFF0 · #F08A9C · #F0DD8A

Monochromatic

#1DA0DD · #5DBDEA · #89CFF0 · #CDEBF9 · #FFFFFF

Baby blue with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
1.71:1 · fails WCAG
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
12.24:1 · AAA

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

More than a nursery color

Baby blue is closely tied to nurseries, baby showers and gender reveals. The blue-for-boys, pink-for-girls convention, however, only settled in over the 20th century and is neither universal nor fixed; plenty of parents now choose neutral palettes. Outside the baby aisle, baby blue reads as soft, clean and calm, and it has made a strong comeback in fashion and interiors as part of pastel palettes.

The reference HEX, #89CFF0, works out to hsl(199, 77%, 74%): a light blue with a faint green lean and enough saturation that it never looks gray.

Where it works

Interiors

In bedrooms, bathrooms and small kitchens, baby blue makes the space feel larger. On walls it looks cooler under daylight-white bulbs and greener under warm ones, so test a sample in the room before committing.

Fashion

Baby-blue shirts, dresses and knitwear soften an outfit and pair easily with denim, gray and beige. It is a gentler alternative to the standard light-blue dress shirt.

Web and UI

It works well as a background for info alerts, cards and page sections, but never as a text color on white: contrast is only about 1.7:1. On top of it, use black text or navy blue.

Pastel palettes and contrasts

For a coherent pastel palette, pair baby blue with baby pink (#F4C2C2), mint green (#98FF98) and lavender (#E6E6FA). For something less childlike, swap the pastels for gray (#808080) and pale wood, or add contrast with coral (#FF7F50). The color harmony guide explains why these pairings work.

Tip: pastels in print

Light shades like #89CFF0 print with very little ink (in CMYK, about 43% cyan, 14% magenta, 0% yellow and 6% black), so any tint in the paper shows through. On off-white or cream stock, baby blue drifts toward green. For invitations and party stationery, choose a neutral white paper and ask for a proof before the full run.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-baby-blue: #89CFF0;
  --color-baby-blue-rgb: 137, 207, 240;
}

.elemento {
  background-color: var(--color-baby-blue);
  color: #000000;
}

Similar colors

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