Nautical Navy color code: #17255A

A saturated maritime navy that leans blue-violet, strong enough to carry a brand mark on its own.

Classic Navy
#17255A

Nautical Navy · rgb(23, 37, 90)

Every format for Nautical Navy

HEX
#17255A
RGB
rgb(23, 37, 90)
HSL
hsl(227, 59%, 22%)
HSV
227°, 74%, 35%
CMYK
74%, 59%, 0%, 65%
Lightness
22% · dark

Hue sits at 227°, which makes Nautical Navy a true blue navy, with 59% saturation. In the Classic Navy family it reads as a dark option.

Text contrast on Nautical Navy

Contrast ratios are calculated using the WCAG 2.1 relative luminance formula. Normal body text needs 4.5:1 and large text needs 3:1 to pass AA.

White text on Nautical Navy

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

14.5:1 — AAA for normal text

Black text on Nautical Navy

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

1.45:1 — below AA, decorative use only

Nautical Navy text on white

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

14.5:1 — AAA for normal text

Accessibility notes

  • Pair Nautical Navy with white text for the strongest reading experience: that combination gives 14.5:1.
  • Used as a text colour on white, it clears the 3:1 bar for large headings.
  • Never rely on Nautical Navy alone to communicate state. Add an icon, label or underline so the meaning survives for colour-blind users and in greyscale printing.
  • When placing text over a photograph tinted with Nautical Navy, add a solid overlay first. Contrast measured against a flat colour does not hold over varying imagery.

Using Nautical Navy in CSS and HTML

CSS example

:root {
  --nautical-navy: #17255A;
}

.panel {
  background-color: var(--nautical-navy);
  color: #FFFFFF;
  border: 1px solid #17255A;
}

HTML example

<div style="background-color: #17255A; color: #FFFFFF; padding: 1rem;">
  Nautical Navy #17255A
</div>

Common uses

  • Page and section backgrounds in dark interfaces, where it holds white text cleanly.
  • Classic Navy palettes for brand systems that need a dependable cool anchor.
  • Print work where a deep blue is preferred to black, using the CMYK build 74%, 59%, 0%, 65%.
  • Data visualisation, as one step in a lightness-based navy scale.

Design recommendations

  • Build lighter and darker variants by changing only the lightness in hsl(227, 59%, 22%). Keeping hue fixed is what makes a scale look intentional.
  • Give Nautical Navy at least one warm counterweight. A cool palette with no warm accent tends to read as cold rather than calm.
  • Saturation is moderate, which makes this shade forgiving across large areas and long reading sessions.

Complementary and matching colors

Each of these is derived from the hue, saturation and lightness of Nautical Navy. Click a swatch to copy it.

Complementary #A2882A
Split complement #A24C2A
Warm accent #D0D61F
Analogous cool #2E8DB2
Analogous warm #542EB2
Triadic #8A243A

Similar navy shades

Traditional Navy

Classic Navy

HEX
#1B2A49
RGB
27, 42, 73
HSL
220, 46%, 20%
CMYK
63%, 42%, 0%, 71%

Navy Blue

Classic Navy

HEX
#000080
RGB
0, 0, 128
HSL
240, 100%, 25%
CMYK
100%, 100%, 0%, 50%

True Navy

Classic Navy

HEX
#12264E
RGB
18, 38, 78
HSL
220, 63%, 19%
CMYK
77%, 51%, 0%, 69%

Naval Blue

Classic Navy

HEX
#223A5E
RGB
34, 58, 94
HSL
216, 47%, 25%
CMYK
64%, 38%, 0%, 63%

Uniform Navy

Classic Navy

HEX
#1F2A44
RGB
31, 42, 68
HSL
222, 37%, 19%
CMYK
54%, 38%, 0%, 73%

Deep Navy

Classic Navy

HEX
#14213D
RGB
20, 33, 61
HSL
221, 51%, 16%
CMYK
67%, 46%, 0%, 76%

Continue exploring

FAQs about Nautical Navy

What is the Nautical Navy color code?

The Nautical Navy color code is #17255A in HEX, rgb(23, 37, 90) in RGB and hsl(227, 59%, 22%) in HSL.

What is the RGB value of Nautical Navy?

Nautical Navy is rgb(23, 37, 90), meaning 23 units of red, 37 of green and 90 of blue on the 0 to 255 scale.

What is the CMYK value of Nautical Navy?

In CMYK, Nautical Navy converts to approximately 74%, 59%, 0%, 65%. Printed output will look slightly less saturated than the screen preview because CMYK covers a narrower gamut.

Does white text work on Nautical Navy?

White text on Nautical Navy gives a contrast ratio of 14.5:1, which is AAA for normal text.

Does black text work on Nautical Navy?

Black text on Nautical Navy gives a contrast ratio of 1.45:1, which is below AA, decorative use only.

Which colors go with Nautical Navy?

Its direct complement is #A2882A, and the warm accent #D0D61F works well for calls to action. For a quieter scheme, pair it with the analogous blues listed above.

Is Nautical Navy a light or dark navy?

At 22% lightness, Nautical Navy is classed as a dark navy in this collection.