Showa era
Calamine BLue & Laelia Pink
Plate 20 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Calamine BLue, Laelia Pink.
#78cdd0
blue · 10 palettes
Calamine BLue
About Calamine BLue
Calamine BLue is a mid-tone, muted blue tone. Its hex value is #78cdd0 — that is
RGB 120, 205, 208, or HSL 182°, 48%, 64%.
It holds 11.4:1 contrast against dark, so Calamine BLue works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.8:1; on black 11.4:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Calamine BLue appears in 10 combinations — most often paired with Pyrite Yellow, Laelia Pink and Dark Citrine.
Colours that go with Calamine BLue
From a standard colour wheel, Calamine BLue anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#78cdd0 #D07B78
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#78cdd0 #78D0A7 #78A1D0
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#78cdd0 #D078CD #CDD078
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#78cdd0 #D078A1 #D0A778
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Calamine BLue
Calamine BLue is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 182°, 48%, 64%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (11.4:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#D07B78) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#78D0A7 and #78A1D0) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Calamine 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.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...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
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...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
See price on Amazon
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Palettes with Calamine BLue
Calamine BLue appears in 10 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 Calamine BLue
- What is the hex code for Calamine BLue?
- Calamine BLue is #78cdd0. It appears in 10 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Calamine BLue look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Calamine BLue (#78cdd0) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.84:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 11.44:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Calamine BLue come from?
- Calamine 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 Calamine BLue in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#78cdd0) 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
- Figma design tokens (W3C-spec JSON, drag into any file)
- Tailwind v4 + v3 configs — drop into any project
- CSS custom properties — every plate, one stylesheet
- 378 SVG plates (348 Wada + 30 editorial) — print-ready at any size
- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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