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Blue · 🗳️ XKCD

Marine

#042E60

A deep vivid blue with cool undertones. Named by popular vote in the XKCD color survey — a crowdsourced color name used by 62+ respondents.

Generate palette with this color →

Emotion & Mood

Emotion
MysteriousVibrantCool
Mood
IntenseContemplative

Personality & Symbolism

ConfidentStrongAssertive
Recommended Use

Suitable for accent colors and attention-grabbing elements.

Color Harmonies

Complementary
#042e60
+
#623804
Split Complementary
#620904
#042e60
#5d6204
Darker Shades
Lighter Tints

Visual Analysis

Hue213°
Saturation92%
Lightness20%
This is a dark color with high saturation. It falls in the blue hue family (213°).

Technical Values

HEX#042E60
RGBrgb(4, 46, 96)
HSLhsl(213, 92%, 20%)
CMYK96%, 52%, 0%, 62%
ContrastDark
CSSbackground: #042e60;

Accessibility — WCAG Contrast

White Text Sample
The quick brown fox jumps.
13.42:1
AA AAA
Black Text Sample
The quick brown fox jumps.
1.56:1
AA AAA

WCAG 2.1 requires a contrast ratio of ≥4.5:1 for AA (normal text) and ≥7:1 for AAA. Best text color for this background: white (#FFFFFF).

Color Psychology

Color Temperature

This cool-toned color (hue 213°) evokes feelings of calm, trust, and intellectual focus. Cool colors tend to recede visually, creating depth and spaciousness in layouts.

Visual Weight

At 20% lightness, this color carries substantial visual weight. Dark colors add perceived importance and gravity to elements. Research shows dark elements are perceived as 10-30% heavier.

Saturation Impact

The high saturation (92%) creates a vibrant, attention-demanding presence. Highly saturated colors are processed faster by the human brain — reaction time decreases by approximately 50ms compared to desaturated variants.

Design Applications

Corporate & Enterprise

Communicates trust and professionalism — the top choice for corporate sites, legal firms, and B2B SaaS.

Government & Institutions

Authority and dependability — frequently used for government portals, educational institutions, and official communications.

Dark Theme & UI

Deep tones reduce eye strain in dark mode — perfect for code editors, media players, and night-mode interfaces.

CTAs & Accents

High saturation draws attention — use for primary buttons, notification badges, and important interactive elements.

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