#516D81 Color
#516D81 is rgb(81, 109, 129) in RGB, hsl(205, 23%, 41%) in HSL, and about cmyk(37%, 16%, 0%, 49%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Dark Electric Blue (#536878), very hard to tell apart at ΔE 3.67. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#516D81rgb(81, 109, 129)hsl(205, 23%, 41%)hsv(205, 37%, 51%)cmyk(37%, 16%, 0%, 49%)oklch(52.1% 0.046 239.8)lab(44.41% -6.54 -14.60)lch(44.41% 16.00 245.86)What #516D81 Is Called
Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #516D81, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every blue in the library.
#516D81 Channel Values
How #516D81 breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 81 · G 109 · B 129 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 205° · S 23% · L 41% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 205° · S 37% · V 51% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 37% · M 16% · Y 0% · K 49% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 5.45:1 vs white · 3.85:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #516D81 background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #516D81 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #516D81
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #516D81; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of #516D81
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #516D81.
How #516D81 Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#516D81#696981#606B81#656582#5D6881#4D7070#4F6F77#6A6A6AUsing #516D81 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-516d81: #516D81;background-color: #516D81;colors: { 'color-516d81': '#516D81' }Color(red: 0.318, green: 0.427, blue: 0.506)<color name="color_516d81">#516D81</color>fill="#516D81"More Blue Colors
#516D81 sits in the blue family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#516D81 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #516D81?
#516D81 is a mid-tone blue — rgb(81, 109, 129) in RGB and hsl(205, 23%, 41%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Dark Electric Blue (#536878), which is very hard to tell apart at a CIE76 distance of 3.67.
What is the RGB value of #516D81?
#516D81 is rgb(81, 109, 129) — red 81, green 109, and blue 129 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #516D81?
#516D81 converts to approximately cmyk(37%, 16%, 0%, 49%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #516D81 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #516D81 scores 5.45:1 against white and 3.85:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #516D81 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #516D81 is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is slategray (#708090) at a CIE76 distance of 9.71, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #516D81 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every blue in the color library, the guide to shades of blue, or the full color library.