Cobalt Color
Cobalt is a blue color with hex code #1E488F. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with cobalt, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Cobalt Color Values
What Does Cobalt Mean?
Cobalt belongs to the blue family of colors. Blue wins popularity surveys in every culture that runs them, and corporate design reflects it. Trust and stability are the usual words people reach for. Dark navies project authority, pale blues open a layout up, and almost nothing clashes with it. Being on the dark side, Cobalt adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Cobalt is classified as a blue (nearest centroid: strong purplish blue, #545AA7). It is also known as Nuit Blanche.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Cobalt
Cobalt and #8F661E are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #1E808F and #2D1E8F, which sit beside cobalt on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair cobalt with triadic partners #8F1E48 and #488F1E. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Bondi Blue —
#02478E(Delta E 2) - Sapphire —
#2F519E(Delta E 5) - Darkish Blue —
#014182(Delta E 5) - St Tropaz —
#2D569B(Delta E 6) - Chambray —
#354E8C(Delta E 7)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #1E488F; }
.background { background-color: #1E488F; }
.border { border: 2px solid #1E488F; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #1E488F40; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for cobalt?
Cobalt has the hex code #1E488F. In RGB notation it is rgb(30, 72, 143), in HSL it is hsl(218, 65%, 34%), and its OKLCH value is 0.414, 0.127, 260.3.
What does the color cobalt mean?
Blue-family colors like cobalt carry distinct psychological associations. Cobalt belongs to the blue family of colors. Blue wins popularity surveys in every culture that runs them, and corporate design reflects it. Trust and stability are the usual words people reach for. Dark navies project authority, pale blues open a layout up, and almost nothing clashes with it. Being on the dark side, Cobalt adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with cobalt?
Cobalt has three easy routes: its complement #8F661E for punch, its neighbors #1E808F and #2D1E8F for something calmer, or triadic partners #8F1E48 and #488F1E when you want energy.
Is cobalt a standard web color?
No — Cobalt is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #1E488F or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make cobalt lighter or darker?
To lighten cobalt, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #D1DEF5 (lightest tint) to #050D19 (darkest shade).
About Cobalt
Cobalt is classified as a Blue in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Blue hue family. It has alternative names including Nuit Blanche. The color is recognized by XKCD, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #1E488F to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.