Cyan vs Olive Drab — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Cyannearest vs Olive Drabnearest

#2792CF · #80942B

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 91/100 (triadic) · Distinguishable 100/100 (easy to tell apart) · Match 0/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability0Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.0:1

Harmony91Triadic

Triadic

130° apart

Distinguishable100Easy to tell apart

normal

tritanopia

ΔE 91 (60 under CVD)

Match0Different

ΔE 91 — different

How different are Cyan and Olive Drab?

Cyan and Olive Drab are very different (ΔE 91). They have distinctly different hues (130° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Cyan text on Olive Drab: 1.01:1 (Fail); Olive Drab text on Cyan: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #00273F clears it.

Common questions

Do Cyan and Olive Drab go well together?

Triadic — triadic — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 91/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Cyan readable as text on Olive Drab?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #00273F clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Cyan and Olive Drab?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 91 — very different.

Are Cyan and Olive Drab the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 91).

Related comparisons