Showa era
Sulphine Yellow & Turquoise Green
Plate 36 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Sulphine Yellow, Turquoise Green.
#b5decc
green · 16 palettes
Turquoise Green
About Turquoise Green
Turquoise Green is a light, muted green tone. Its hex value is #b5decc — that is
RGB 181, 222, 204, or HSL 154°, 38%, 79%.
It holds 14.3:1 contrast against dark, so Turquoise Green works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.5:1; on black 14.3:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Turquoise Green appears in 16 combinations — most often paired with Apricot Yellow, Lemon Yellow and Cobalt Green.
Colours that go with Turquoise Green
From a standard colour wheel, Turquoise Green anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#b5decc #DEB5C7
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#b5decc #B5DEB8 #B5DCDE
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#b5decc #CCB5DE #DECCB5
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#b5decc #DEB5DC #DEB8B5
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Turquoise Green
Turquoise Green is a light, muted tone (HSL 154°, 38%, 79%), which makes it a soft background or a light accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (14.3:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#DEB5C7) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#B5DEB8 and #B5DCDE) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Turquoise Green 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 Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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 Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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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
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Turquoise Green
Turquoise Green appears in 16 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 Turquoise Green
- What is the hex code for Turquoise Green?
- Turquoise Green is #b5decc. It appears in 16 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Turquoise Green look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Turquoise Green (#b5decc) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.47:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 14.29:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Turquoise Green come from?
- Turquoise Green is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued green pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Turquoise Green in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#b5decc) 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.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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