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Pulsing Mykonos

#40bbf2
Notes

Pulsing Mykonos (#40BBF2) is a true cyan with a neon character. It sits at the high-saturation edge of its family. Use it sparingly, as signage, accent, or highlight against darker surfaces. Its HSL profile (199°, 87%, 60%) places it in the highly saturated band at a mid lightness. Best used in small doses, like logos, CTAs, focus rings, or highlight text, where its saturation becomes a feature rather than noise. For a confident two-color system, pair it with its complementary orange. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.

HEX
#40bbf2
RGB
rgb(64, 187, 242)
HSL
hsl(199, 87%, 60%)
HWB
hwb(199 25% 5%)
OKLCH
oklch(74.8% 0.132 232.0)
HSV
hsv(199, 74%, 95%)
LAB
lab(71.58% -16.06 -36.98)
LCH
lch(71.58% 40.31 246.53)
CMYK
cmyk(74%, 23%, 0%, 5%)

Etymology

Pulsing
adjective

The progressive participle of pulse, to throb. Used as a color modifier for hues that read as if they were alternating between two states of luminance — the vibration of a high-saturation color against a contrasting background. Sits in the bright-bucket center alongside electric, with the implication of optical motion rather than static luminance.

Mykonos
noun

The Cycladic island — and the saturated blue of Mykonos's painted shutters and the deep Aegean water around Paradise Beach. Mykonos color refers to a Mykonos painted-shutter blue: a saturated, slightly cool deep blue with the matte finish of weathered limewash-and-cobalt paint.

Closest matches

The nearest named color in three reference sources, ranked by perceptual distance (ΔE76 in CIELAB). ΔE < 1 is imperceptible to most viewers; ΔE > 10 is clearly different. When two sources point to the same hex they’re merged into one tile; click any to open that color’s page.

Variations

Click any swatch to explore

Harmonies

Accessibility

Color-vision simulation

How this color appears to viewers with the four major color-vision-deficiency types. Computed via the Machado (2009) physiologically-based model. If a tile matches the original, the color reads the same to that viewer.

#40bbf2
Original
#9fb9f5
Protanopia
#87a8f1
Deuteranopia
#00cacd
Tritanopia
#a5a5a5
Achromatopsia
WCAG contrast

The color used as foreground text against pure white and pure black, with the contrast ratio and WCAG 2.1 grade. Aim for AA (4.5:1) for body text and AA Large (3:1) for 18 pt+ headlines; AAA (7:1) is the gold standard for long-form reading surfaces.

The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
Failon White
2.19:1
The quick brown foxSample body text at normal size. The wcag minimum for body contrast is 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA).
AAAon Black
9.61:1

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