Showa era
Etruscan Red & Nile Blue
Plate 25 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Etruscan Red, Nile Blue.
#bce4e5
blue · 7 palettes
Nile Blue
About Nile Blue
Nile Blue is a light, muted blue tone. Its hex value is #bce4e5 — that is
RGB 188, 228, 229, or HSL 181°, 44%, 82%.
It holds 15.4:1 contrast against dark, so Nile Blue works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 1.4:1; on black 15.4:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Nile Blue appears in 7 combinations — most often paired with Etruscan Red, Pyrite Yellow and Peach Red.
Colours that go with Nile Blue
From a standard colour wheel, Nile Blue anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#bce4e5 #E5BDBC
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#bce4e5 #BCE5D2 #BCD0E5
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#bce4e5 #E5BCE4 #E4E5BC
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#bce4e5 #E5BCCF #E5D2BC
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Nile Blue
Nile Blue is a light, muted tone (HSL 181°, 44%, 82%), which makes it a soft background or a light accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (15.4:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use dark lettering. Pair it with its complement (#E5BDBC) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#BCE5D2 and #BCD0E5) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Nile 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.
Listed on Amazon as Strathmore 300 Series Tape Bound Watercolor Pad, 140 lb. Cold Press, 11 X 15 inches, White, 12 Sheets (360-111)
See price on Amazon
Amazon Associates affiliate links — your price is unchanged and a small commission keeps the archive free. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Palettes with Nile Blue
Nile Blue appears in 7 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 Nile Blue
- What is the hex code for Nile Blue?
- Nile Blue is #bce4e5. It appears in 7 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Nile Blue look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Nile Blue (#bce4e5) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 1.37:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 15.37:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Nile Blue come from?
- Nile 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 Nile Blue in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#bce4e5) 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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- 378 SVG plates (348 Wada + 30 editorial) — print-ready at any size
- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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