Cyan Color Meaning | Connotations & Hex Codes
#00FFFF
Can’t decide between green and blue? Try cyan—a vivid, contemporary color that’s exactly halfway between the two.
This article explores the meaning of the color cyan, presents a range of cyan shades with their hex codes, and suggests ways to use cyan to shape a brand identity.
Just prompt the generator with a description of your design and ask for a rendering in cyan (e.g., “Show me a mock-up of an interior design for a cafe with cyan as a signature color”).
What color is cyan?
Cyan is a bright color that sits halfway between blue and green on the color wheel. In everyday English, the term can refer to a range of colors that overlaps with names like turquoise, aqua, and blue-green.
In the CMYK color model used for printing, cyan is one of the primary colors, along with magenta and yellow.
Among the named CSS colors, “Cyan” is exactly the same color as “Aqua,” lighter than “Teal,” and lighter and bluer than “Turquoise.”
To view and refine these colors in a color wheel tool, like QuillBot’s free Color Wheel, enter the hex code #00FFFF for “Cyan/Aqua,” #008080 for “Teal,” and #40E0D0 for “Turquoise.”
What does cyan symbolize?
Cyan is a vibrant yet approachable color that can convey modernity, innovation, freshness, and clarity.
In branding design, you can use cyan to:
- Position your brand as future-focused or contemporary without making it feel cold or distant
- Help to suggest order, transparency, and simplicity
- Build a balanced, uplifting impression that feels dynamic but still calm and welcoming
In interior design, shades of cyan help to make a room feel airy, fresh, and reviving.
Color conversion
#00FFFF| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | 00FFFF |
| RGB | 0, 255, 255 |
| RGB Percent | 0%, 100%, 100% |
| CMYK | 1, 0, 0, 0 |
| HSL | 180°, 100%, 50% |
Color variations
Tints
- #1fffff • Click to copy
- #3dffff • Click to copy
- #5cffff • Click to copy
- #7affff • Click to copy
- #99ffff • Click to copy
- #b8ffff • Click to copy
- #d6ffff • Click to copy
- #ebffff • Click to copy
Shades
- #00e0e0 • Click to copy
- #00c2c2 • Click to copy
- #00a3a3 • Click to copy
- #008585 • Click to copy
- #006666 • Click to copy
- #004747 • Click to copy
- #002929 • Click to copy
- #001414 • Click to copy
Tones
- #00c2c2 • Click to copy
- #08c9c9 • Click to copy
- #12cece • Click to copy
- #1dd3d3 • Click to copy
- #29d6d6 • Click to copy
- #3fcfcf • Click to copy
- #54c9c9 • Click to copy
- #68c4c4 • Click to copy
Cyan hex code
The CSS cyan color code is #00FFFF.
The hex code for the CSS color name DarkCyan is #008B8B, and the code for the CSS color name LightCyan is #E0FFFF.
Other named CSS colors that are close to cyan are:
- Turquoise #40E0D0
- PaleTurquoise #AFEEEE
- DarkTurquoise #00CED1
- MediumTurquoise #48D1CC
Cyan blue
The color name cyan blue is often used as an alternative name for “cyan.” But the term “cyan blue” is also sometimes used to describe a vivid, fairly bright shade of greenish blue (example hex code: #00A7CC) that is slightly darker than the CSS color “DeepSkyBlue” #00BFFF.
- Mono
- Analogous
- Complementary
Frequently asked questions about the color cyan
- What are the cyan RGB values?
-
The cyan RGB values for the named CSS color Cyan are:
- 0, 255, 255
To view and refine this color for your project, enter the hex code #00FFFF into QuillBot’s free, online Color Wheel tool.
- What is a light cyan color?
-
Pure cyan is a bright, light color. But if you’re looking for an especially light cyan color, try the hex codes:
- #E0FFFF (for the CSS color “LightCyan”)
- #F0FFFF (for the CSS color “Azure”)
To view and refine these cyan tints for your project, enter their hex codes into QuillBot’s free, online Color Wheel tool.
- What is a dark cyan color?
-
If you’re looking for a dark cyan shade, try the hex codes:
- #008B8B (for the CSS color “DarkCyan”)
- #008080 (for the CSS color “Teal”)
Those colors are exact shades of the CSS color Cyan.
Or try these similar colors:- #00CED1 (for the CSS color “DarkTurquoise”)
- #48D1CC (for the CSS color “MediumTurquoise”)
Use QuillBot’s free AI Photo Generator to visualize how one of these dark cyan colors could work in your project.




