What is the hex code for Cerulean?

Cerulean's standard hex code is #007BA7. Pantone defines a slightly more saturated variant; Cerulean Blue (the pigment) is closer to #2A52BE.

Is Cerulean the same as sky blue?

Related but not identical. Sky blue tends to be lighter and less saturated. Cerulean sits at hue 196° with full saturation — a more deliberate, less atmospheric colour.

What does Cerulean mean in color psychology?

Cerulean reads as calm, open, and institutional — a colour associated with confidence without aggression. It signals space and distance, which is why museums, libraries, and public broadcasters reach for it.

What pairs well with Cerulean?

Bone Linen for editorial pairing, Vermilion as a 5% accent, Indigo Deep for tonal monochrome, Old Gold for historic counterpoint.

Color profile · Blue family

Cerulean Blue.

The sky-blue of the Romantics, named from the Latin caeruleus.

#007BA7

Cerulean Blue

Used in 3 palettes →

Technical specs.

Same colour, four notations — copy the one your tool needs.

Hex: #007BA7
RGB: rgb(0, 123, 167)
CMYK: 100 · 26 · 0 · 35
HSL: 196° · 100% · 33%

Origin.

Cerulean entered English in the 17th century from the Latin caeruleus, meaning sky or heaven. The modern pigment — cobalt stannate — was developed in 1805 by the Swiss chemist Andreas Höpfner. Pantone named it Color of the Year in 2000, anointing it the colour of the new millennium.

What Cerulean Blue means.

Three readings the colour carries before any product or page is built around it.

01
Open sky, calm weather, distance. Cerulean is the colour the eye reaches for when it needs space.
02
Confidence without aggression. Cerulean is blue without the corporate connotation of navy or the toy-quality of pure cyan.
03
Cultural register: museum, library, public broadcaster. Cerulean tends to read as institutional in the best sense — credible and not for sale.

Pairs with.

Four colours that earn their place next to Cerulean Blue.

Bone Linen
#F5F1E8
Bone Linen lets Cerulean sing without competing — the natural editorial pairing.
Vermilion
#E63946
The classic complementary accent. Use as a 5% signal only — anything more breaks the calm.
Indigo Deep
#0B2A4A
Cerulean's own dark anchor. Together they make a monochrome blue ladder.
Old Gold
#C9A961
Historic counterpoint — the blue-and-gold of museum signage.

Used in these palettes.

Cerulean Blue is an anchor or near-anchor of the following systems.

When to use Cerulean Blue — when to avoid.

A colour is only correct in the right context. Cerulean Blue earns its place in some categories and reads as foreign in others.

Best used for

Editorial brand identity (magazine, civic, museum).
Data-dense interfaces — Cerulean is legible at small sizes against light surfaces.
Public-sector and educational design where neutrality is the offer.

Avoid using for

Food, hospitality, restaurant — blue suppresses appetite at scale.
Saturation-led campaigns aimed at children — Cerulean reads as adult.
Health-critical alarm states — Cerulean reads as calm, not urgent.

Cerulean Blue — frequently asked.

What is the hex code for Cerulean?: Cerulean's standard hex code is #007BA7. Pantone defines a slightly more saturated variant; Cerulean Blue (the pigment) is closer to #2A52BE.
Is Cerulean the same as sky blue?: Related but not identical. Sky blue tends to be lighter and less saturated. Cerulean sits at hue 196° with full saturation — a more deliberate, less atmospheric colour.
What does Cerulean mean in color psychology?: Cerulean reads as calm, open, and institutional — a colour associated with confidence without aggression. It signals space and distance, which is why museums, libraries, and public broadcasters reach for it.
What pairs well with Cerulean?: Bone Linen for editorial pairing, Vermilion as a 5% accent, Indigo Deep for tonal monochrome, Old Gold for historic counterpoint.