Steel Blue vs Blue — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Steel Bluenearest vs Bluenearest

#4191C1 · #6D85C9

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 93/100 (analogous) · Distinguishable 39/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 57/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability1Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.0:1

Harmony93Analogous

Analogous

22° apart

Distinguishable39Hard to tell apart

normal

tritanopia

ΔE 20 (9.8 under CVD)

Match57Different

ΔE 20 — different

How different are Steel Blue and Blue?

Steel Blue and Blue are a clear pair (ΔE 20). They have closely related hues (22° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Steel Blue text on Blue: 1.03:1 (Fail); Blue text on Steel Blue: 1.03:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #002339 clears it.

Common questions

Do Steel Blue and Blue go well together?

Analogous — analogous — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 93/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Steel Blue readable as text on Blue?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #002339 clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Steel Blue and Blue?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 20 — a clear pair.

Are Steel Blue and Blue the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 20).

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