Cyan vs Dark Khaki — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

Cyannearest vs Dark Khakinearest

#74BBF1 · #A6BE71

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 0/100 (fail) · Harmony 96/100 (triadic) · Distinguishable 86/100 (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

Harmony96Triadic

Triadic

127° apart

Distinguishable86Easy to tell apart

normal

tritanopia

ΔE 71 (43 under CVD)

Match0Different

ΔE 71 — different

How different are Cyan and Dark Khaki?

Cyan and Dark Khaki are very different (ΔE 71). They have distinctly different hues (127° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Cyan text on Dark Khaki: 1.01:1 (Fail); Dark Khaki text on Cyan: 1.01:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #004B76 clears it.

Common questions

Do Cyan and Dark Khaki go well together?

Triadic — triadic — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 96/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Cyan readable as text on Dark Khaki?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #004B76 clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Cyan and Dark Khaki?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 71 — very different.

Are Cyan and Dark Khaki the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 71).

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