Aqua Color Palette
Aqua is hex #00FFFF, rgb(0, 255, 255). Aqua is pure cyan in CSS: full green and blue with no red. On screen it is extremely bright, so designers usually use a darker or lighter variation.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Aqua color codes
Reading the aqua color codes
The hex code #00FFFF is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 00 is 0, FF is 255 and FF is 255, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(0, 255, 255) in CSS. The green channel is the strongest here, which is what gives aqua its cyan character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 180 degrees places aqua in the cyan part of the color wheel. Saturation of 100% makes it vivid, and lightness of 50% makes it a mid-tone color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 100% cyan, 0% magenta, 0% yellow and 0% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to aqua for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Aqua shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #00FFFF, so you can use aqua for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"aqua": {
50: "#CCFFFF",
100: "#A3FFFF",
200: "#7AFFFF",
300: "#52FFFF",
400: "#29FFFF",
500: "#00FFFF",
600: "#00DDDD",
700: "#00BABA",
800: "#009898",
900: "#007676",
950: "#005353",
},
},
},
}:root {
--aqua-50: #CCFFFF;
--aqua-100: #A3FFFF;
--aqua-200: #7AFFFF;
--aqua-300: #52FFFF;
--aqua-400: #29FFFF;
--aqua-500: #00FFFF;
--aqua-600: #00DDDD;
--aqua-700: #00BABA;
--aqua-800: #009898;
--aqua-900: #007676;
--aqua-950: #005353;
}A shade-by-shade guide to aqua
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#CCFFFF) and 100 (#A3FFFF), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the aqua mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#7AFFFF) and 300 (#52FFFF) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where aqua is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 900 upward, so use step 900 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 800.
The darkest steps, 800 (#009898) through 950 (#005353), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to aqua. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with aqua
How the aqua color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from aqua is #FF0000, which sits closest to scarlet among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #00FF80 and #0080FF sit 30 degrees either side of aqua. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#FF00FF and #FFFF00) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to magenta. The split complementary set (#FF0080 and #FF8000) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #99FFFF to #007070. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Aqua compared with similar colors
turquoise (#40E0D0) is lighter (56% vs 50% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward teal-green. Choose turquoise if you want a softer, airier version; choose aqua if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
electric blue (#7DF9FF) is lighter (75% vs 50% lightness) and similarly saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose electric blue if you want a softer, airier version; choose aqua if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
sky blue (#87CEEB) is lighter (73% vs 50% lightness) and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward cyan. Choose sky blue if you want a softer, airier version; choose aqua if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Aqua in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here aqua carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
Weekly summary
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Using aqua in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on aqua only reach 1.25:1, so use dark text (16.75:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid aqua for body text on white; use step 900 or darker for links and headings that need to read as aqua.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid mid-tone color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with aqua. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Aqua scores 1.25:1 against white (Fail) and 16.75:1 against black (AAA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use aqua alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What aqua means
Teal and cyan sit between blue's trust and green's freshness. They read as clear, clinical, modern and a little optimistic.
Aqua is the web name for pure cyan, the color made by full green and blue light with no red. It is identical to CSS cyan.
Teal makes a strong primary for health, fintech and productivity tools. Check contrast carefully: mid teals often fail with white text at small sizes.
Where aqua works best
- Water and pool brands
- Tech highlights
- Summer campaigns
- Data visualisation
How to style aqua
Aqua is extremely bright, so use it sparingly against dark backgrounds or as a lighter tint. It needs dark text. Darker teals from its scale are more practical for buttons and text.
Build a UI with aqua
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #00FFFF as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Aqua · History and definition of aqua.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for aqua?
The hex code for aqua used on this page is #00FFFF. In RGB that is rgb(0, 255, 255), and in HSL it is hsl(180, 100%, 50%).
What colors go well with aqua?
Aqua pairs well with #00A6A6, #E9FFFF, #073B4C (the Pool Deck palette above). Its complementary color is #FF0000, and analogous colors are #00FF80 and #0080FF.
Is aqua a warm or cool color?
Aqua is a cool color. Its hue sits at 180 degrees on the color wheel with 100% saturation.
Can I use aqua for text?
Aqua has a contrast ratio of 1.25:1 against white and 16.75:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does aqua mean?
Teal and cyan sit between blue's trust and green's freshness. They read as clear, clinical, modern and a little optimistic. Aqua in particular is used for water and pool brands and tech highlights.
How do I use aqua in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#00FFFF] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-aqua-500 and text-aqua-900.
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