Showa era
English Red & Cerulian Blue
Plate 1 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — English Red, Cerulian Blue.
#0093a5
blue · 8 palettes
Cerulian Blue
About Cerulian Blue
Cerulian Blue is a deep, vivid blue tone. Its hex value is #0093a5 — that is
RGB 0, 147, 165, or HSL 187°, 100%, 32%.
It holds 5.7:1 contrast against dark, so Cerulian Blue works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 3.7:1; on black 5.7:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Cerulian Blue appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with English Red, Vistoris Lake and Pale Lemon Yellow.
Colours that go with Cerulian Blue
From a standard colour wheel, Cerulian Blue anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#0093a5 #A51200
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#0093a5 #00A564 #0041A5
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#0093a5 #A50093 #93A500
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#0093a5 #A50041 #A56400
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Cerulian Blue
Cerulian Blue is a deep, vivid tone (HSL 187°, 100%, 32%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (5.7:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#A51200) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#00A564 and #0041A5) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Cerulian Blue 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.
-
...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
View on Amazon -
...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.
Pentel
Fude Touch brush sign pen
Listed on Amazon as Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A) 3 Pieces
View on Amazon
Amazon Associates affiliate links — your price is unchanged and a small commission keeps the archive free. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Palettes with Cerulian Blue
Cerulian Blue appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Cerulian Blue
- What is the hex code for Cerulian Blue?
- Cerulian Blue is #0093a5. It appears in 8 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Cerulian Blue look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Cerulian Blue (#0093a5) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 3.67:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 5.72:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Cerulian Blue come from?
- Cerulian Blue 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 Cerulian Blue in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#0093a5) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
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