Blue color: code #0000FF

Blue

#0000FF

Color codes

  • HEX#0000FF
  • RGBrgb(0, 0, 255)
  • HSLhsl(240, 100%, 50%)
  • HSVhsv(240, 100%, 100%)
  • CMYKcmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 0%)
  • LABlab(32.3% 79.2 -107.9)
  • OKLCHoklch(45.2% 0.313 264.1)

About the color Blue

Blue has the HEX code #0000FF, which corresponds to rgb(0, 0, 255) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 240°, with 100% saturation and 50% lightness (hsl(240, 100%, 50%)).

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 light text: white reaches a 8.59:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 2.44:1 for black.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 0%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Blue

Complementary

#0000FF · #FFFF00

Analogous

#0080FF · #0000FF · #8000FF

Triadic

#0000FF · #FF0000 · #00FF00

Tetradic

#0000FF · #FF0080 · #FFFF00 · #00FF80

Split-complementary

#0000FF · #FF8000 · #80FF00

Monochromatic

#000080 · #0000CC · #0000FF · #4D4DFF · #9999FF

Blue with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
8.59:1 · AAA
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
2.44:1 · fails WCAG

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

What blue communicates

Blue tends to read as calm, trust, stability and technology, which is why it shows up so often for banks, health insurers, software companies and government agencies. The associations aren't universal, though: some traditions tie blue to spiritual protection, while in American English "feeling blue" (and the blues) links it to sadness. Because blue is so common in finance and tech, it also carries a risk: a blue brand can blend in with its competitors. Always judge the color against your audience and industry, and check what the rest of your market already uses.

Pure blue and its relatives

#0000FF is your monitor's B channel at full power. It's intense and dark at the same time, and many people searching for "blue" actually want one of these shades:

ColorHEXWhen to choose it
Blue#0000FFVivid digital accents, illustration, screens.
Navy blue#000080Uniforms, tailoring, institutional brands.
Royal blue#4169E1Energetic buttons and links, eveningwear.
Sky blue#87CEEBLight backgrounds, summer themes, kids' products.

Pairings that work

On the traditional RYB color wheel, blue's complement is orange, and the pair creates vibrant contrast that you'll see in sportswear and calls to action. Other safe picks:

To build out the full scheme, try variations in the color palette generator.

#0000FF sits outside the CMYK print gamut. A naive conversion lands near cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 0%), which prints as a much darker, less luminous blue-violet than what you see on screen. If it's a brand color, define a dedicated CMYK version (or a Pantone spot color) instead of trusting automatic conversion. The RGB vs CMYK guide explains why. On screen the news is better: white text on #0000FF reaches an 8.6:1 contrast ratio, well above what WCAG requires.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-blue: #0000FF;
  --color-blue-rgb: 0, 0, 255;
}

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

Similar colors

Use Blue in our tools