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Cerulean vs Cornflower Blue: What's the Difference?

The main difference between Cerulean and Cornflower Blue is hue — Cerulean is a cool cyan, while Cornflower Blue is a cool blue. Cerulean (#007BA7) is a deep ocean-blue leaning teal, while Cornflower Blue (#6495ED) is a lighter, more violet-leaning medium blue named after the cornflower wildflower. Cerulean is darker and greener; cornflower is brighter and bluer.

Cerulean#007BA7
Cornflower Blue#6495ED
#007BA7Blended: #3288CA#6495ED
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Cerulean vs Cornflower Blue: Key Differences at a Glance

Aspect Cerulean Cornflower Blue
LightnessDark (L=33%)Light-medium (L=66%)
Hue196° — green-blue219° — violet-blue
FeelOcean depth, Pantone-chicAiry, wildflower, nostalgic
UndertoneGreen-leaningViolet-leaning
Named afterLatin caeruleus = sky/seaCornflower wildflower
Common usePantone, ocean brandingUI links, floral, Oxford

Can you use Cerulean and Cornflower Blue together?

Cornflower Blue text on Cerulean
Cerulean text on Cornflower Blue
Contrast Ratio:1.61:1Insufficient Contrast

How to Tell Cerulean and Cornflower Blue Apart

  • ●Cerulean is roughly half as light as cornflower — a dramatic 33-point lightness gap.
  • ●Hold them against white: cerulean looks like a deep ocean; cornflower looks like a clear summer sky.
  • ●Cornflower has a visible violet cast; cerulean has a teal cast.
  • ●Cerulean was Pantone's Color of the Year 2000; cornflower is the Microsoft hyperlink default.

Origin of Cerulean and Cornflower Blue

Cerulean

Cerulean pigment was first produced as cobalt stannate in 1805 by Andreas Hopfner, prized by Impressionist painters for its lightfastness.

Cornflower Blue

Cornflower Blue took its name from the wildflower Centaurea cyanus, documented as a color term in English from the late 18th century.

Cerulean or Cornflower Blue: Which to Use and Where

Four real design scenarios, with the recommended pick based on hue, saturation, and WCAG contrast.

◆Branding & logos
PickCerulean

Cerulean is more saturated (100% HSL vs 79%) so it reads as bolder and more memorable at logo scale, while Cornflower Blue can feel washed out when printed small.

▢Web UI & body text backgrounds
PickCerulean

Cerulean hits a 4.78:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where Cornflower Blue only reaches 2.97:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.

⬡Fashion & apparel
PickCornflower Blue

Cornflower Blue is a cool-leaning tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Cerulean leans cooler and is better suited to autumn/winter layering.

▣Interior design & walls
PickCornflower Blue

Cornflower Blue is the more muted of the two (79% saturation) and sits more calmly on large wall surfaces, while Cerulean's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.

When to Use Cerulean vs Cornflower Blue in Design

Use Cerulean for:
●Cool, techy, digital branding
●Water, ice, cleaning products
●Fresh modern UI accents
●Summer and tropical themes
●Youthful playful design
Use Cornflower Blue for:
●Tech and corporate trust
●Finance and banking brands
●Links and primary buttons
●Medical and professional UI
●Calm dependable visuals

Cerulean and Cornflower Blue Hex Codes, RGB & HSL

Cerulean#007BA7

Cerulean (RGB 0,123,167) is a saturated deep blue at L=33% with a slight green undertone, named from Latin 'caeruleus' (sky/sea). It's Pantone's 2000 Color of the Year.

HEX
RGB
HSL
HSV
CMYK
PANTONE
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Cornflower Blue#6495ED

Cornflower Blue (RGB 100,149,237) is a medium blue at L=66% with violet undertones, named after the Centaurea cyanus wildflower. It's the classic 'Microsoft Word hyperlink blue.'

HEX
RGB
HSL
HSV
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PANTONE
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Cerulean and Cornflower Blue WCAG Contrast Ratios

Text legibility depends on the contrast ratio between foreground and background. WCAG 2.1 AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Use these numbers to choose accessible combinations for your design.

Sample text preview
Cerulean text on white
4.78:1AA
Sample text preview
Cerulean text on black
4.39:1AA Large
Sample text preview
Cornflower Blue text on white
2.97:1Fail
Sample text preview
Cornflower Blue text on black
7.06:1AAA
Sample text preview
Cerulean text on Cornflower Blue
1.61:1Fail
Sample text preview
Cornflower Blue text on Cerulean
1.61:1Fail

Explore Cerulean and Cornflower Blue individually

Each color has a dedicated page with shades, tints, CSS name, pairings, and color psychology.

Cerulean color page#007BA7 · shades, tints, pairings

More Cerulean and Cornflower Blue Comparisons

CeruleanvsAzureCornflowervsPeriwinklePowder BluevsCornflowerSky BluevsCeruleanCeruleanvsCobaltRoyal BluevsCornflowerTealvsCeruleanAzurevsCornflower BlueAzurevsCeruleanIndigovsCornflower BlueCornflower BluevsVioletCornflower BluevsLavender

Cerulean vs Cornflower Blue FAQ

What is the difference between cerulean and cornflower blue?+
The main difference between Cerulean and Cornflower Blue is hue — Cerulean is a cool cyan, while Cornflower Blue is a cool blue. Cerulean (#007BA7) is a deep ocean-blue leaning teal, while Cornflower Blue (#6495ED) is a lighter, more violet-leaning medium blue named after the cornflower wildflower. Cerulean is darker and greener; cornflower is brighter and bluer.
Is cerulean darker than cornflower blue?+
Yes. Cerulean is darker, with a lightness of 33% in HSL compared to Cornflower Blue at 66% — a 33-point gap.
Are cerulean and cornflower blue the same color?+
No. Cerulean is #007BA7 and Cornflower Blue is #6495ED. They differ by 23° in hue, 33% in lightness, and 21% in saturation.
Which is more saturated, cerulean or cornflower blue?+
Cerulean is more saturated. In HSL, Cerulean has 100% saturation and Cornflower Blue has 79% — Cerulean is the more vivid of the two, while Cornflower Blue reads as more muted.
Is cerulean warm or cool?+
Cerulean (#007BA7) is a cool cyan. Its hue sits at 196° on the color wheel, which places it in the cool range.
Is cornflower blue warm or cool?+
Cornflower Blue (#6495ED) is a cool blue. Its hue sits at 219° on the color wheel, which places it in the cool range.
Can you use cerulean and cornflower blue together?+
Yes. Cerulean (cyan) and Cornflower Blue (blue) can work as a complementary or analogous pair. Use one as the dominant tone and the other as a 10–20% accent to keep the palette balanced.
What color family does cerulean belong to?+
Cerulean belongs to the cyan family. Its HSL is 196°, 100%, 33% — a cool tone within the broader cyan group.
What is the hex code for cerulean?+
The hex code for Cerulean is #007BA7. In RGB, that's rgb(0, 123, 167), and in HSL it's hsl(196, 100%, 33%).
What is the hex code for cornflower blue?+
The hex code for Cornflower Blue is #6495ED. In RGB, that's rgb(100, 149, 237), and in HSL it's hsl(219, 79%, 66%).