Teal color meaning: symbolism, psychology and how to use it
#008080
oklch(0.543 0.093 194.8)
What teal symbolizes
Teal sits between blue and green, and its meanings come from both parents: the trust and calm of blue and the freshness and balance of green. It is associated with clarity, healing, tranquility, sophistication and thoughtfulness, and it often reads as slightly more distinctive than either blue or green alone. On the negative side, teal can feel cool or detached, and a dull greyish teal can come across as clinical or dated.
The word comes from a small freshwater duck, the teal, whose head carries a blue-green patch around the eye. Related names in the same area include turquoise (the gemstone), aqua and cyan. People use these names loosely, and there is no sharp border between them, which is why this site's hue families give teal and cyan a share of the same blue-green region.
Teal color psychology: what the research says
There is very little dedicated research on teal specifically, and it is safest to treat popular claims about its emotional effect as design lore. Teal inherits general findings about cool colours: they are usually described as calm and orderly, and less intense than warm hues. Those descriptions are consistent across many design sources, but they are tendencies, not guarantees.
Medical settings give one practical example. Operating theatre gowns and scrubs are often blue-green. One common explanation is that the colour is restful against the red of blood and reduces the visual afterimage that surgeons would otherwise see when looking away from red tissue, though how much that matters in practice is debated. Either way, teal has become tied to healthcare and hygiene in many people's minds.
Because teal is neither fully warm nor fully cool, it can be read in different ways depending on its neighbours. Next to orange or coral it feels lively and modern; next to grey and white it feels clean and professional; with gold it feels classic and a little luxurious.
Cultural meanings of teal
- Persia, Central Asia and the Islamic world. Turquoise and blue-green glazed tiles are a signature of mosque domes and palaces, from Iran to Uzbekistan, and the stone turquoise has long been valued as a protective gem.
- North America (Indigenous Southwest). Turquoise stone is central to jewellery and ceremonial objects in several Native American cultures of the Southwest, associated with protection, sky and water.
- Ancient Egypt. Blue-green faience and turquoise were widely used in amulets and jewellery, associated with life, rebirth and protection.
- Mesoamerica. Turquoise mosaics are among the best-known objects of Aztec craft, tied to rulers and ritual.
- Western countries. Calm seas, tropical water, spa and wellness, and a certain retro 1950s look; teal ribbons are also used for awareness of some health conditions.
Teal in branding and marketing
Teal is common among brands that want to look modern, calm and trustworthy without the corporate default of blue: health and wellness, software, fintech and education. The turquoise of Tiffany & Co. packaging is a famous case of a colour acting as a brand asset: a specific blue-green is protected as part of the identity.
It also works as a second colour next to navy or charcoal, adding freshness without clashing. Because there are fewer teal logos than blue ones, it can help a brand stand out in crowded sectors, especially in software, where blue dominates.
Be careful with very pale or greyish teals, which can look like hospital walls, and with very saturated aqua that can look dated unless the rest of the design is clearly current.
Teal in UI and web design
In UI teal is flexible because it does not carry a built-in status meaning: it is neither the standard success green nor the standard error red. That makes it a good primary accent, particularly when you need a colour that is clearly different from both your success and your information colours. Just make sure it is not too close to your success green, or users may confuse links with confirmations.
Contrast is workable. The CSS colour teal, #008080, has a WCAG ratio of about 4.7:1 on white (passing AA for normal text) and about 4.4:1 on black. In OKLCH it sits near hue 195 and lightness 0.54, which is a mid-tone, so it is one of the few hues where both white and black text are nearly acceptable; check each case rather than assume. Brighter teals such as turquoise need dark text.
For dark mode, a lighter, slightly less saturated teal on a deep slate or charcoal surface looks clean and legible. Teal is a good colour for focus rings and selected states because it differs from the common blue links and red errors. As ever, pair colour with a second cue for anyone with colour vision deficiency, since teal and some greys or blues can be hard to tell apart.
Teal hex code and color values
- HEX
- #008080
- RGB
- rgb(0 128 128)
- HSL
- hsl(180 100% 25%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.543 0.093 194.8)
This is the standard CSS value for teal. See the full set of conversions, tints, shades and harmonies on its #008080 color page.
CSS custom property
:root {
--color-teal: #008080; /* fallback */
}
@supports (color: oklch(0 0 0)) {
:root {
--color-teal: oklch(0.543 0.093 194.8);
}
}Shades and tones of teal
Light teals like aquamarine, mint and seafoam are airy, fresh and watery. Mid teals like turquoise and jade feel lively, tropical and creative. Deep teals such as petrol, dark cyan and peacock feel rich, serious and slightly luxurious, working well as an alternative to navy.
Where teal leans decides what it says. Green-leaning teal feels natural and organic, closer to a deep sea or forest pool. Blue-leaning teal feels calm and corporate. Greyed teals (cadet blue, slate teal) are subtle and soft, good for backgrounds and interiors. In the colour data the teal family includes dark slate shades as well, so it is a wider group than the single word suggests.
Popular named shades, light to dark
- D6FFFA
Ice
- 7FFFD4
Hiroshima Aquamarine
- AFEEEE
Mint Macaron
- 00FFFF
Cyan
- A1DED6
Frosty
- 40E0D0
Fresh Turquoise
- 71DCB8
Beryl
- 66D0C0
Patina
- 48D1CC
Medium Turquoise
- 66CDAA
Aquarium Blue
- 00CED1
Jade Glass
- 8EBCBD
Lorian
- 6BB8B5
Swim
- 20B2AA
Glass Jar Blue
- 00AAAC
Fiji
- 5F9EA0
Cadet Blue
- 16A0A6
Ducati
- 00998C
Plumage
- 008B8B
Dark Cyan
- 008080
Teal
- 297B76
Elm
- 456F6E
Farrago
- 2F4F4F
Dark Slate Grey
- 184343
Tiber
The colour library has 1,165 named colours in the teal family. Browse all teal colors.
Contrast and accessibility
Teal (#008080) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 4.77:1 against white and 4.39:1 against black. Normal-size text needs 4.5:1 for level AA and 3:1 is enough for large text and UI components.
Test any other combination in the contrast checker.
Teal color palettes
Colors that go with teal
In OKLCH, teal is near hue 195, so its complement is around hue 15, which is red-orange and coral. Teal with coral or salmon is a lively, summery palette and one of the most dependable ways to warm up a cool colour. Teal with terracotta or burnt orange has a retro-modern feel.
Analogous partners are green and blue: teal with navy is calm and professional, and teal with lime or yellow-green is energetic and fresh. Teal with gold or brass gives a more luxurious look; teal with white and light grey is clean and clinical. Teal with pink is playful and a little 1980s. Avoid teal with a green of similar lightness and chroma when you need the two to be clearly different, as they merge.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the color teal symbolize?
- Teal is associated with calm, clarity, healing and sophistication, combining the stability of blue with the freshness of green. Its meanings are drawn from general cool-colour associations rather than strong, fixed traditions.
- What is the hex code for teal?
- The CSS named colour teal is #008080: rgb(0 128 128), hsl(180 100% 25%) and oklch(0.543 0.093 194.8). Turquoise is #40e0d0 and dark cyan is #008b8b.
- Is teal a good color for a logo?
- Yes, particularly for health, software and education brands that want a calm, modern look that stands apart from standard blue. Check contrast, since mid teal sits near the limit for both white and black text.
- What colors go with teal?
- Coral, salmon and terracotta are its complements. Navy, gold, white, grey and pink also pair well.
- What is the difference between teal and turquoise?
- Teal is usually darker and more muted, turquoise is lighter and more vivid. The boundary is informal, and both live in the blue-green region.