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Dependable Bottomless

#51e4f9
Notes

Dependable Bottomless (#51E4F9) 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 (188°, 93%, 65%) 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 red. For something softer, pull in its analogous neighbors on either side of the wheel.

HEX
#51e4f9
RGB
rgb(81, 228, 249)
HSL
hsl(188, 93%, 65%)
HWB
hwb(188 32% 2%)
OKLCH
oklch(85.0% 0.125 208.6)
HSV
hsv(188, 67%, 98%)
LAB
lab(84.00% -32.24 -21.62)
LCH
lch(84.00% 38.82 213.84)
CMYK
cmyk(67%, 8%, 0%, 2%)

Etymology

Dependable
adjective

Latin dē-pendere, to hang from — adjectival suffix -able. As a color modifier, dependable implies a clear-and-trustworthy-and-consistent quality where the hue carries the visual register of consistently-performing-and-counted-on design-element. Sits at the crisp-and-honest end of the grid, parallel to reliable and trustworthy in usage.

Bottomless
noun

A descriptor for water deep enough that the bottom isn't visible from above — particularly cenote sinkholes, deep ocean trenches, and Caribbean blue holes. Bottomless color refers to the Great Blue Hole of Belize seen from above: a saturated, slightly cool very deep blue with the optical depth of unfathomably deep water.

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

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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.

#51e4f9
Original
#d1dcfa
Protanopia
#b8caf9
Deuteranopia
#00eeea
Tritanopia
#c6c6c6
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
1.52:1
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
13.82:1

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