The main difference between Teal and Cerulean is brightness and saturation: both are cyan shades, but Cerulean is lighter. Teal (#008080) has an HSL of 180°, 100%, 25%, whereas Cerulean (#007BA7) sits at 196°, 100%, 33%.
Four real design scenarios, with the recommended pick based on hue, saturation, and WCAG contrast.
Teal is more saturated (100% HSL vs 100%) so it reads as bolder and more memorable at logo scale, while Cerulean can feel washed out when printed small.
Cerulean hits a 4.78:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where Teal only reaches 4.77:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.
Cerulean is a cool-leaning tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Teal leans cooler and is better suited to autumn/winter layering.
Teal is the more muted of the two (100% saturation) and sits more calmly on large wall surfaces, while Cerulean's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.
Teal (#008080) is a dark, vivid cyan with a cool undertone — it feels rich, serious, substantial and bright, energetic, eye-catching.
Cerulean (#007BA7) is a dark, vivid cyan with a cool undertone — it feels rich, serious, substantial and bright, energetic, eye-catching.
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.
Each color has a dedicated page with shades, tints, CSS name, pairings, and color psychology.