# #176aa6

A color — cool, vivid, technical, modern. Deterministic analysis from BrandSweets (no inference).

## Values

- Hex: `#176aa6`
- RGB: rgb(23, 106, 166)
- HSL: hsl(205, 76%, 37%)
- OKLCH: oklch(0.508 0.121 246.2)
- Relative luminance: 0.1324
- Nearest named color: Brilliant Blue (#0075b3, Δ 3.374) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brilliant-blue
- Moods: cool, vivid, technical, modern
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/colors/176aa6

## Tints & shades

- Tints (toward white): #1a7cc1, #1e8ddc, #359be3, #50a8e7, #6fb8eb, #8ac5ef, #a5d2f3, #c0e0f6, #dbedfa, #f6fbfe
- Shades (toward black): #156299, #125687, #114e79, #0f456c, #0d3c5e, #0a314c, #09283f, #072031, #04141f, #020b12

## Harmonies

- Complementary: #a65217
- Analogous: #17a69a, #1723a6
- Triadic: #a6176a, #6aa617
- Split-complementary: #a61723, #a69a17
- Tetradic: #9a17a6, #a65217, #23a617

## Colors that go with #176aa6

Named partners (harmony on the OKLCH wheel, co-occurrence in curated palettes and brand systems, and the neutrals that carry it), best first:

- **Charcoal** #36454f [role, pool] — Charcoal is the text near-black for #176aa6: softer than #000 and cool enough to feel like part of the same palette. Seen in: Amazon (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/amazon-com), Hasbro (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/hasbro-com), Hinge (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/hinge-co), Jack Daniel's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/jackdaniels-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/charcoal
- **Crimson** #dc143c [harmony, pool: triadic] — Crimson completes a triad with #176aa6 — three hues spaced evenly round the wheel, the classic way to get energy into a palette without a clash. Seen in: McDonald's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com), State Farm (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/statefarm-com), Wendy's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wendys-com), Costco (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/costco-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/crimson
- **Royal Blue** #4169e1 [harmony, pool: analogous] — Royal Blue is #176aa6's neighbour on the wheel, so the two read as one family — use it for hover states, gradients and secondary surfaces. Seen in: Xbox (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/xbox-com), Motorola (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/motorola-com), Guinness (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/guinness-com), Chase (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/chase-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/royalblue
- **Sienna** #a0522d [harmony, pool: complementary] — Sienna sits directly opposite #176aa6 on the wheel — the strongest contrast one hue can give another, so use it small: a button, a link colour, one highlight. Seen in: Dyson (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/dyson-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/sienna
- **Amber** #ffbf00 [pool] — Amber is paired with #176aa6 in 8 real palettes, including McDonald's's brand system and Lemon Squeezy's brand system, as the lead colour. Seen in: McDonald's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com), Lemon Squeezy (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/lemonsqueezy-com), Warner Bros. (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/warnerbros-com), Wired (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wired-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/amber
- **Blue** #0000ff [pool] — 7 real palettes, including Activision's brand system and Pixar's brand system put Blue beside #176aa6, as the accent. Seen in: Activision (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/activision-com), Pixar (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/pixar-com), Tesco (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/tesco-com), CVS (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/cvs-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blue
- **Cobalt Blue** #0047ab [pool] — Designers have shipped Cobalt Blue with #176aa6: 8 real palettes, including Glacier and Fintech Trust, as the accent. Seen in: Glacier (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#glacier), Fintech Trust (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#fintech-trust), General Mills (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/generalmills-com), Intel (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/intel-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/cobalt
- **Cornflower Blue** #6495ed [pool] — Designers have shipped Cornflower Blue with #176aa6: 4 real palettes, including Coca-Cola's brand system and Gopro's brand system, as the supporting colour. Seen in: Coca-Cola (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/coca-cola-com), Gopro (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/gopro-com), NBA (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/nba-com), Blue Mono (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/cool#blue-mono). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/cornflowerblue

## Contrast (WCAG 2.x, as text)

- On white (#ffffff): 5.76:1 — AA pass, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AAA: text → #145c90 (7.09:1)
- On black (#000000): 3.65:1 — AA fail, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AA: text → #1a79bc (4.51:1); AA: background → #e6e6e6 (4.61:1); AAA: text → #3a9de4 (7.12:1)

## Brands using this color

- **McDonald's** — accent #006bae (Δ 1.321) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com
- **Activision** — secondary #0768af (Δ 1.715) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/activision-com
- **Slack** — primary #1264a3 (Δ 1.804) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/slack-com
- **Slack** — accent #1264a3 (Δ 1.804) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/slack-com

## Fonts for this mood

- technical: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/technical
- modern: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/modern

## Palette tool

Open this color locked as the lead with four explored companions: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/176aa6-9cafc4-df4e58-1f212d-e9f1f0?lock=0&style=vibrant
(Humans lock/regenerate in the tool; the URL is the state — read `lock=` back to see what they kept.)

## Connect an agent

Point any MCP client at the BrandSweets colors endpoint for the same engine:

- Endpoint: https://mcp.brandsweets.com/colors/mcp
- Tools: `analyze_color` (e.g. `analyze_color({ color: "#176aa6" })`), `check_contrast` (with fixes), `generate_palette` (explore around locks), `suggest_palette` (mood/industry → curated-first), `list_palettes`.