What is the hex code for Salvia Blue?

Salvia Blue is #97acc8. It appears in 13 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".

What does Salvia Blue look like on white and black backgrounds?

Salvia Blue (#97acc8) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 2.32:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 9.05:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

Where does the color Salvia Blue come from?

Salvia 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 Salvia Blue in my own design or brand?

Yes. The color name and hex value (#97acc8) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.

#97acc8

blue · 13 palettes

Salvia Blue

About Salvia Blue

Salvia Blue is a mid-tone, muted blue tone. Its hex value is #97acc8 — that is RGB 151, 172, 200, or HSL 214°, 31%, 69%.

It holds 9.1:1 contrast against dark, so Salvia Blue works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.3:1; on black 9.1:1.)

Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Salvia Blue appears in 13 combinations — most often paired with Sulpher Yellow, Cossack Green and Krongbergs Green.

Palettes with Salvia Blue

Salvia Blue appears in 13 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.

Showa era

Krongbergs Green & Salvia Blue

Plate 29 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Krongbergs Green, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Apricot Yellow & Khaki +1

Plate 129 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Apricot Yellow, Khaki, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Sulpher Yellow & Cossack Green +1

Plate 135 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Sulpher Yellow, Cossack Green, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Salvia Blue & Deep Indigo +1

Plate 139 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Salvia Blue, Deep Indigo, Neutral Gray.

Showa era

Hydrangea Red & Sulphine Yellow +1

Plate 142 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Hydrangea Red, Sulphine Yellow, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Rainette Green & Salvia Blue +1

Plate 188 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Rainette Green, Salvia Blue, Cobalt Green.

Showa era

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

Plate 209 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ivory Buff, Yellow Orange, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Pompeian Red & Orange Citrine +1

Plate 212 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pompeian Red, Orange Citrine, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Madder Brown +1

Plate 237 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Madder Brown, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Pale Lemon Yellow & Orange +2

Plate 272 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Lemon Yellow, Orange, Turquoise Green, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Sulpher Yellow & Cream Yellow +2

Plate 294 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Sulpher Yellow, Cream Yellow, Cossack Green, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Light Brown Drab & Sulpher Yellow +2

Plate 321 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Sulpher Yellow, Deep Slate Olive, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Olive Buff & Nile Blue +2

Plate 330 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Olive Buff, Nile Blue, Salvia Blue, Green Blue.

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Drop a Salvia Blue swatch card into any blog post, design review, or color-study reference page. Links back to this color's detail.

<iframe src="https://colorcombinations.org/embed/colors/salvia-blue/" width="360" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;" title="Salvia Blue — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

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From the archive

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All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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Salvia Blue

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About Salvia Blue

Palettes with Salvia Blue

Krongbergs Green & Salvia Blue

Apricot Yellow & Khaki +1

Sulpher Yellow & Cossack Green +1

Salvia Blue & Deep Indigo +1

Hydrangea Red & Sulphine Yellow +1

Rainette Green & Salvia Blue +1

Ivory Buff & Yellow Orange +1

Pompeian Red & Orange Citrine +1

Carmine Red & Madder Brown +1

Pale Lemon Yellow & Orange +2

Sulpher Yellow & Cream Yellow +2

Light Brown Drab & Sulpher Yellow +2

Olive Buff & Nile Blue +2

Embed this color

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.