Heian era
Ao & White— 青と白
The classical Japanese 'ao' — an ambiguous blue-green — against pure white.
#3A7D7B
blue · 1 palette
Ao
青
Blue-green (classical)
Most colors in this archive come from one 1933 book. Get Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary on Amazon → Affiliate link; your price is unchanged. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
About Ao
Ao (青) is a deep, muted blue tone. Its hex value is #3A7D7B — that is
RGB 58, 125, 123, or HSL 178°, 37%, 36%.
Blue-green (classical).
It holds 4.8:1 contrast against white, so Ao works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 4.8:1; on black 4.4:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Ao appears in 1 combination — most often paired with Shiro and Sumi.
Colours that go with Ao
From a standard colour wheel, Ao anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#3A7D7B #7D3A3C
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#3A7D7B #3A7D5A #3A5E7D
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#3A7D7B #7B3A7D #7D7B3A
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#3A7D7B #7D3A5D #7D5A3A
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Ao
Ao is a deep, muted tone (HSL 178°, 37%, 36%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (4.8:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#7D3A3C) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#3A7D5A and #3A5E7D) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Ao off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
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-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone GP6102B Color Bridge Guide Set Coated & Uncoated, Multi-Colour
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
ColorChecker Studio spectrophotometer
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Studio Spectrophotometer for Complete Color Management for Display, Projector, Printer and Scanner Profiling
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
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Palettes with Ao
Ao appears in 1 combination from the archive. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Ao
- What is the hex code for Ao?
- Ao (青) is #3A7D7B. Blue-green (classical) It appears in 1 historical color combination from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Ao look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Ao (#3A7D7B) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 4.77:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 4.40:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Ao come from?
- Ao is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued blue pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Ao in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#3A7D7B) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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