Showa era
Carmine & Helvetia Blue
Plate 39 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine, Helvetia Blue.
#005b8d
blue · 8 palettes
Helvetia Blue
About Helvetia Blue
Helvetia Blue is a deep, vivid blue tone. Its hex value is #005b8d — that is
RGB 0, 91, 141, or HSL 201°, 100%, 28%.
It holds 7.3:1 contrast against white, so Helvetia Blue works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 7.3:1; on black 2.9:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Helvetia Blue appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Carmine, Rosolanc Purple and Brown.
Colours that go with Helvetia Blue
From a standard colour wheel, Helvetia Blue anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#005b8d #8D3200
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#005b8d #008D79 #00148D
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#005b8d #8D005B #5B8D00
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#005b8d #8D0014 #8D7900
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Helvetia Blue
Helvetia Blue is a deep, vivid tone (HSL 201°, 100%, 28%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (7.3:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#8D3200) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#008D79 and #00148D) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Helvetia Blue
Helvetia Blue appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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