The main difference between Teal and Navy is hue — Teal is a cool cyan, while Navy is a cool blue. Teal (#008080) is a dark blue-green named after the duck, while Navy (#000080) is a pure dark blue with no green. Teal has equal parts blue and green; navy is pure blue.
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 Navy can feel washed out when printed small.
Navy hits a 16.56:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where Teal only reaches 4.77:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.
Teal is a cool-leaning tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Navy 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 Navy's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.
Teal (RGB 0,128,128) is a dark blue-green with equal green and blue channels — an even mix that reads as sophisticated and modern. It's a CSS named color since HTML 3.2.
Navy (RGB 0,0,128) is a pure dark blue with no green content at all, originally the British Royal Navy uniform color (1748). It reads as formal and conservative.
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.