What color is Steel Blue?
Steel blue is a medium blue with a cool, slightly muted tone, hex #4682B4, close to a clear winter sky. It has more gray in it than a bright sky blue, giving it a calm, subdued quality.
What is the meaning of the color Steel Blue?
Named after the blue-gray surface of tempered steel, the color reflects the industrial materials that defined 19th-century manufacturing. As steel production expanded across Europe and North America through the mid-1800s, the distinctive blue-gray sheen of worked metal became a recognized visual reference. The name steel blue was first recorded in English in 1817. The United States Naval Academy has long incorporated steel blue tones into uniform and institutional design, anchoring the color to themes of service and precision.
RGB
70, 130, 180
HSL
207°, 44%, 49%
CMYK
61, 28, 0, 29
HSV
207°, 61%, 71%
What colors go with Steel Blue?
Similar Colors
Conversions & Codes
| Format | Value | CSS |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #4682B4 |
color: #4682B4;
|
| RGB | 70, 130, 180 |
color: rgb(70, 130, 180);
|
| RGB Percentage | 27%, 51%, 71% |
color: rgb(27%, 51%, 71%);
|
| CMYK | 61%, 28%, 0%, 29% | Not supported in CSS |
| HSL | 207°, 44%, 49% |
color: hsl(207, 44%, 49%);
|
| HSV | 207°, 61%, 71% | Not supported in CSS |
| CIE-LAB | 39, -12, -17 |
color: lab(39% -12 -17);
|
| Decimal | 4620980 | Not supported in CSS |
Color Variations
Shades
Tints
Tones
Hues
Color Harmonies
Analogous
Complementary
Split Complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Square
CSS & Dev Snippets
CSS
.steel-blue {
color: #4682B4;
}
SCSS
$steel-blue: #4682B4;
RGB
rgb(70, 130, 180)
Accessibility & Contrast
White background
4.11:1
4.11
contrast ratio on a white background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element
Black background
5.11:1
5.11
contrast ratio on a black background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element