Water Color

Clear as a Stream, Refreshing the Heart

HEX#A0D8D0

RGBrgb(160, 216, 208)

HSLhsl(171, 42%, 74%)

HSVhsv(171, 26%, 85%)

CMYKcmyk(26%, 0%, 4%, 15%)

HEXA#A0D8D0FF

RGBArgba(160, 216, 208, 1)

HSLAhsla(171, 42%, 74%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(92.4%, 0.031, 187)

LCHlch(91.6%, 19.2, 201)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#1B413BRatio 7.1:1AAA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#315F77Ratio 4.4:1AA Large

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#606EBERatio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#BC79C8Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#419F91

#58BBAC

#7DCABE

#A1D9D0

#C5E7E2

#DBF0ED

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#B5C5C2

#AECBC7

#A7D2CC

#A1D9D0

#9ADFD5

#94E6D9

#8DECDE

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#619890

#73B0A7

#87C4BB

#9FD6CD

#B8E5DE

#C5EDE7

#C3EFE8

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#A1D9C2

#A1D9C7

#A1D9CC

#A1D9D0

#A1D9D5

#A1D8D9

#A1D3D9

💡 Use Cases

🛁

Bathroom Space

Water Color tiles or shower curtains can create a bathing experience where water and sky merge, immersing one as if in a natural hot spring, providing thorough physical and mental relaxation and purification.

👘

Summer Kimono

Water Color is a common color for summer yukata and unlined kimonos. Its cooling sensation complements the lightweight fabric, offering a visual and tactile temperature drop in the summer heat.

📚

Stationery Design

Water Color is often used for pen barrels, notebook covers, and inks, infusing study and work with a fresh, focused appeal, making everyday stationery appear more lively and approachable.

🍣

Japanese Tableware

Water Color ceramic plates and glass bowls are ideal for presenting summer dishes like sashimi and cold noodles, using the cool color to set off the ingredients' freshness and enhance the visual aesthetics of dining.

📜 Origin & History

Water Color is a highly representative light cyan in the traditional Japanese color spectrum, its name derived from the natural observation of clear stream water and shallow seas. As early as the Heian period, aristocrats chose Water Color for summer garments to achieve a visually cooling sensation.

During the Edo period, with advancements in dyeing techniques, Water Color became popular among the townspeople culture. It frequently appeared in Kabuki costumes and Ukiyo-e prints, embodying both commoner aesthetics and an elegant, fresh character.

After the Meiji Restoration in the modern era, Water Color was incorporated into the modern color education system, becoming a common color for Japanese school sports uniforms and group emblems, symbolizing youth, freshness, and a spirit of collaboration.

Today, Water Color remains a classic in Japanese lifestyle aesthetics, appearing in kimonos, tableware, stationery, and even residential walls, continuously conveying the reverence for the beauty of natural clarity.

🧠 Color Psychology

FreshnessWater Color has high brightness and low saturation, visually light and transparent like the mountain spring after early spring snow melts, providing a mental lift and a refreshing, pleasant feeling.

SoftnessWater Color is non-aggressive, gentle, and tolerant in tone, capable of easing tension, allowing one to lower their guard and return to a relaxed, comfortable psychological state.

OpennessWater Color evokes boundless sky and open water surfaces, psychologically expanding the field of vision, lowering defensiveness, and promoting smooth communication and expression.

HealingWater Color has a notable calming effect, capable of lowering heart rate and skin conductance response. It is often used in therapeutic spaces and children's environments to help restore emotional balance.

LightnessIf used extensively on its own, Water Color might appear too airy or lack support. In settings requiring authority or depth, it needs to be paired with heavier colors.

FreedomWater Color is not constrained by formality, providing a psychological hint of ease and spontaneity, suitable for creative work and leisure moments, stimulating inspiration and imagination.

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