Exploring the Color #316C9A

#316C9A sits at 206° on the color wheel, placing it in the azure family of the cool half of the spectrum. With 52% saturation and 40% lightness, it reads as a moderately saturated, shadowed tone — a balanced mid-energy presence that sits comfortably alongside other UI tones. Its RGB mix of 49, 108, 154 produces a 5.61:1 contrast ratio against white, which clears WCAG AA for body text in that pairing.

In RGB space #316C9A is a clear variant of CSS steel blue — about 40 units away from #4682B4. Designers reach for azure hues at this saturation when the brief calls for a conversational, mid-energy register, and at this lightness when they want a present, comfortable mid-canvas voice. On screen the cool cast tends to pair best with warm neutrals in the 25°-45° range to add life.

Darkening Shades

Lightening Shades