Nearest-color comparison
Zircon Blue #2D9CDB vs Steel Blue #4682B4: RGB distance 53.1 and contrast 1.35:1. Compare hue, luminance, saturation, WCAG and practical use.
Zircon Blue and Steel Blue are related but distinguishable, with an RGB distance of 53.1. Zircon Blue is lighter by 0.0889, and Zircon Blue is more saturated by 27 percentage points. Their mutual contrast is 1.35:1. The pair is too close for a readable foreground/background combination and works better as neighboring palette colors.
The main measurable differences between Zircon Blue and Steel Blue across RGB distance, luminance, hue, saturation, and contrast.
blue color
Zircon Blue is #2D9CDB, a cool blue with hue 202°, saturation 71% and luminance 0.2945. Beside Steel Blue, it is lighter and more saturated. Of the two standard text choices, black text gives the higher contrast at 6.89:1.
blue color
Steel Blue is #4682B4, a cool blue with hue 207°, saturation 44% and luminance 0.2056. Beside Zircon Blue, it is darker and less saturated. Of the two standard text choices, black text gives the higher contrast at 5.11:1.
Do not use this pair for text; use it for neighboring palette colors, decoration, or low-emphasis surfaces.
Downloadable color comparison infographic
Save a high-resolution comparison infographic with both HEX colors, visual distance, mutual contrast, and accessibility guidance.
A compact visual strip showing the two compared colors with nearby harmony and variant context.
Machine-readable data
Structured comparison data for Zircon Blue and Steel Blue, including color systems, RGB distance, HSL deltas, contrast, accessibility guidance, use cases, and API links.
Colors Encyclopedia
colorsBoth named color records with HEX, RGB, HSL, CMYK, luminance, WCAG, and linksdifferencesRGB distance, HSL deltas, luminance delta, contrast, and shared attributesaccessibilityPair contrast and safer text choices for each coloruseCasesWhen to choose each color and when to use them togetherrelatedApiMachine-readable comparison and color endpoints[
{
"slug": "zircon-blue",
"name": "Zircon Blue",
"hex": "#2D9CDB",
"rgb": [
45,
156,
219
],
"hsl": [
202,
71,
52
],
"cmyk": [
79,
29,
0,
14
],
"family": "blue",
"temperature": "cool",
"tone": [
"balanced"
],
"luminance": 0.2945,
"contrast": {
"black": 6.89,
"white": 3.05
},
"wcag": {
"AA": [
"#000000",
"#1A1A1A"
],
"AAA": []
},
"bestText": {
"text": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 6.89
},
"description": "Zircon Blue is #2D9CDB, a cool blue color with balanced character. Compared with Steel Blue, it is lighter and more saturated. Use it for jewel-tone palettes, luxury branding, and premium interface accents, with black text as the safer foreground option.",
"url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/colors/zircon-blue/",
"apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/zircon-blue.json"
},
{
"slug": "steel-blue",
"name": "Steel Blue",
"hex": "#4682B4",
"rgb": [
70,
130,
180
],
"hsl": [
207,
44,
49
],
"cmyk": [
61,
28,
0,
29
],
"family": "blue",
"temperature": "cool",
"tone": [
"balanced"
],
"luminance": 0.2056,
"contrast": {
"black": 5.11,
"white": 4.11
},
"wcag": {
"AA": [
"#000000"
],
"AAA": []
},
"bestText": {
"text": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 5.11
},
"description": "Steel Blue is #4682B4, a cool blue color with balanced character. Compared with Zircon Blue, it is darker and less saturated. Use it for web design, css color systems, and ui prototyping, with black text as the safer foreground option.",
"url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/colors/steel-blue/",
"apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/steel-blue.json"
}
]{
"rgbDistance": 53.1,
"contrastRatio": 1.35,
"hslDelta": {
"hue": 5,
"saturation": 27,
"lightness": 3
},
"luminanceDelta": 0.0889,
"sameFamily": true,
"sameTemperature": true,
"sharedTones": [
"balanced"
],
"lighterColor": "Zircon Blue",
"moreSaturatedColor": "Zircon Blue"
}{
"pairContrastRatio": 1.35,
"textRecommendation": "Do not use this pair for text; use it for neighboring palette colors, decoration, or low-emphasis surfaces.",
"safeText": [
{
"color": "Zircon Blue",
"background": "#2D9CDB",
"foreground": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 6.89
},
{
"color": "Steel Blue",
"background": "#4682B4",
"foreground": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 5.11
}
]
}{
"chooseFirstWhen": "Zircon Blue is better when the design needs balanced blue character, cool temperature, and the specific HEX value #2D9CDB.",
"chooseSecondWhen": "Steel Blue is better when the design needs balanced blue character, cool temperature, and the specific HEX value #4682B4.",
"useTogetherWhen": "Use these colors together as related palette neighbors, subtle material differences, or tonal alternatives rather than readable foreground/background pairs."
}[
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/compare/zircon-blue-vs-steel-blue.json",
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/zircon-blue.json",
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/steel-blue.json"
]{
"datasetVersion": "1.0.0",
"slug": "zircon-blue-vs-steel-blue",
"type": "nearest",
"name": "Zircon Blue vs Steel Blue",
"verdict": "Zircon Blue and Steel Blue are visually related colors. Zircon Blue is the lighter option. They share similar temperature behavior. Their mutual contrast is 1.35:1, so the pair is too low for text and better treated as a palette relationship.",
"summary": "Zircon Blue and Steel Blue are different blue colors with HEX values #2D9CDB and #4682B4. According to Colors Encyclopedia, their RGB distance is 53.1, their contrast ratio is 1.35:1, and the comparison helps choose between tone, temperature, and accessibility behavior.",
"rgbDistance": 53.1,
"contrastRatio": 1.35,
"colors": [
{
"slug": "zircon-blue",
"name": "Zircon Blue",
"hex": "#2D9CDB",
"rgb": [
45,
156,
219
],
"hsl": [
202,
71,
52
],
"cmyk": [
79,
29,
0,
14
],
"family": "blue",
"temperature": "cool",
"tone": [
"balanced"
],
"luminance": 0.2945,
"contrast": {
"black": 6.89,
"white": 3.05
},
"wcag": {
"AA": [
"#000000",
"#1A1A1A"
],
"AAA": []
},
"bestText": {
"text": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 6.89
},
"description": "Zircon Blue is #2D9CDB, a cool blue color with balanced character. Compared with Steel Blue, it is lighter and more saturated. Use it for jewel-tone palettes, luxury branding, and premium interface accents, with black text as the safer foreground option.",
"url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/colors/zircon-blue/",
"apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/zircon-blue.json"
},
{
"slug": "steel-blue",
"name": "Steel Blue",
"hex": "#4682B4",
"rgb": [
70,
130,
180
],
"hsl": [
207,
44,
49
],
"cmyk": [
61,
28,
0,
29
],
"family": "blue",
"temperature": "cool",
"tone": [
"balanced"
],
"luminance": 0.2056,
"contrast": {
"black": 5.11,
"white": 4.11
},
"wcag": {
"AA": [
"#000000"
],
"AAA": []
},
"bestText": {
"text": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 5.11
},
"description": "Steel Blue is #4682B4, a cool blue color with balanced character. Compared with Zircon Blue, it is darker and less saturated. Use it for web design, css color systems, and ui prototyping, with black text as the safer foreground option.",
"url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/colors/steel-blue/",
"apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/steel-blue.json"
}
],
"differences": {
"rgbDistance": 53.1,
"contrastRatio": 1.35,
"hslDelta": {
"hue": 5,
"saturation": 27,
"lightness": 3
},
"luminanceDelta": 0.0889,
"sameFamily": true,
"sameTemperature": true,
"sharedTones": [
"balanced"
],
"lighterColor": "Zircon Blue",
"moreSaturatedColor": "Zircon Blue"
},
"accessibility": {
"pairContrastRatio": 1.35,
"textRecommendation": "Do not use this pair for text; use it for neighboring palette colors, decoration, or low-emphasis surfaces.",
"safeText": [
{
"color": "Zircon Blue",
"background": "#2D9CDB",
"foreground": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 6.89
},
{
"color": "Steel Blue",
"background": "#4682B4",
"foreground": "#000000",
"label": "black text",
"ratio": 5.11
}
]
},
"useCases": {
"chooseFirstWhen": "Zircon Blue is better when the design needs balanced blue character, cool temperature, and the specific HEX value #2D9CDB.",
"chooseSecondWhen": "Steel Blue is better when the design needs balanced blue character, cool temperature, and the specific HEX value #4682B4.",
"useTogetherWhen": "Use these colors together as related palette neighbors, subtle material differences, or tonal alternatives rather than readable foreground/background pairs."
},
"relatedApi": [
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/compare/zircon-blue-vs-steel-blue.json",
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/zircon-blue.json",
"https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/steel-blue.json"
],
"url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/compare/zircon-blue-vs-steel-blue/",
"apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/compare/zircon-blue-vs-steel-blue.json"
}