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Cyan / Teal · 🗳️ XKCD

Steel Grey

#6F828A

A medium neutral cyan with cool undertones. Named by popular vote in the XKCD color survey — a crowdsourced color name used by 31+ respondents.

Generate palette with this color →

Emotion & Mood

Emotion
BalancedSubtleCool
Mood
StableGrounded

Personality & Symbolism

ReservedThoughtfulRefined
Recommended Use

Suitable for backgrounds and subtle design elements.

Color Harmonies

Complementary
#6f828a
+
#8b776f
Split Complementary
#8b6f75
#6f828a
#8b856f
Darker Shades
Lighter Tints

Visual Analysis

Hue198°
Saturation11%
Lightness49%
This is a medium-toned color with low saturation. It falls in the cyan hue family (198°).

Technical Values

HEX#6F828A
RGBrgb(111, 130, 138)
HSLhsl(198, 11%, 49%)
CMYK20%, 6%, 0%, 46%
ContrastDark
CSSbackground: #6f828a;

Accessibility — WCAG Contrast

White Text Sample
The quick brown fox jumps.
4.01:1
AA AAA
Black Text Sample
The quick brown fox jumps.
5.24:1
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: black (#000000).

Color Psychology

Color Temperature

This cool-toned color (hue 198°) evokes feelings of calm, trust, and intellectual focus. Cool colors tend to recede visually, creating depth and spaciousness in layouts.

Visual Weight

This mid-range lightness (49%) creates a balanced visual presence — neither heavy nor ethereal. It works well for both text and interactive elements.

Saturation Impact

The low saturation (11%) gives this color a muted, sophisticated quality. Desaturated colors reduce cognitive load and are associated with professionalism and maturity in design research.

Design Applications

Technology & Innovation

Clean and modern — ideal for SaaS dashboards, tech startups, and digital product interfaces.

Healthcare & Wellness

Calming and clinical — commonly used in medical apps, healthcare portals, and wellness brands.

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