blue

Uncoated (U)

Pantone Process Blue U

#008EC9 · rgb(0, 142, 201)

HEX

#008EC9

RGB

rgb(0, 142, 201)

CMYK

cmyk(100%, 29%, 0%, 21%)

HSL

hsl(198, 100%, 39%)

LAB

lab(55.6, -10.4, -39.3)

What is Pantone Process Blue U?

Pantone Process Blue U is a Uncoated (U) PMS reference in the blue family. Its current screen approximation on PantoneTools is #008EC9, rgb(0, 142, 201), and cmyk(100%, 29%, 0%, 21%). Use it when you need a quick Pantone to HEX, Pantone to RGB, or Pantone to CMYK lookup for brand exploration, UI palettes, and print handoff conversations. For accessibility, this page tests Pantone Process Blue U as a background and currently recommends black text as the safer default before final contrast review. The tints, shades, complementary palette, and developer exports are generated from the same sRGB value so teams can keep web tokens and design notes aligned. These digital values are approximations rather than licensed Pantone specifications; confirm production-critical color with a current physical guide, D50 lighting, and a printer proof.

Workflow context for Pantone Process Blue U

Blue uncoated production notes

Because this is an uncoated-paper reference, use it for absorbent stocks, stationery, uncoated labels, and brand systems where ink will dull or spread compared with coated paper. For glossy packaging or laminated collateral, compare it against the coated companion before approval. Blue brand colors are often stable in digital systems but can darken or purple-shift in print. Keep a clear distinction between spot, CMYK fallback, and UI token values.

Use Pantone Process Blue U as a digital reference first, then confirm production work against a physical guide or approved proof.
Record the approved uncoated value separately from CMYK, HEX, RGB, and design-token fallbacks.
For UI or web use, pair this color with black text only after checking the actual contrast ratio in context.
When sending to a vendor, include the expected substrate, lighting condition, and approval owner instead of only sending a HEX value.

Use this color with

Brand consistency systemsDocument Pantone, CMYK, HEX, RGB, and tolerance rules together.Accessibility workflowReview whether black text is acceptable for real UI use.Why print colors shiftPlan for substrate, lighting, ink, and press-condition changes.

Data provenance

Curated community sRGB approximations

Hand-curated approximate sRGB visual equivalents for screen preview and matching workflows. This is not an official Pantone licensed value source. Use for educational lookup, digital previews, nearest-color matching, accessibility checks, and workflow planning. Confirm production color against physical guides, licensed values, or printer proofs.

Source type: community-reference
Confidence: low
Last reviewed: 2026-05-23

Scale metadata

These fields are used by the scale audit before any larger color-directory expansion. They are intentionally conservative because current values are approximate screen references.

blue

uncoated

screen-reference

pantone-approximation

proof-required

Deep blues can purple-shift or darken in process print. Keep spot, CMYK, and digital token values documented separately.

Tints, Shades & Scale

A balanced 11-step scale derived from Pantone Process Blue U for design system use.

Complementary Palette

Quick palette of tint, base, shade, and complement for layout exploration.

#66BBDF

#008EC9

#005579

#FF7136

Accessibility

WCAG 2.1 contrast checks for Pantone Process Blue U as a background.

Black text on this color

Sample text · 5.71 : 1

AA Normal

AA Large

AAA Normal

AAA Large

White text on this color

Sample text · 3.68 : 1

AA Normal

AA Large

AAA Normal

AAA Large

Similar Pantone Colors

Top 6 ΔE2000-closest Pantones to Pantone Process Blue U (same finish).

Copied #1F3A93

Pantone 286 U · ΔE 31.16

#1F3A93

Copied #3B3835

Pantone Black U · ΔE 36.80

#3B3835

Copied #FF6A13

Pantone Orange 021 U · ΔE 52.75

#FF6A13

Copied #D9381E

Pantone 485 U · ΔE 53.11

#D9381E

Copied #EF4135

Pantone Red 032 U · ΔE 53.37

#EF4135

Copied #C8233C

Pantone 186 U · ΔE 54.25

#C8233C

Similar RAL Colors

Top 6 ΔE2000-closest RAL Classic references to Pantone Process Blue U. RAL approximations are not interchangeable with Pantone spot colors; use as a cross-reference for industrial coatings and powder coat workflows.

Copied #3B83BD

RAL 5012

#3B83BD

Light blue

Copied #2271B3

RAL 5015

#2271B3

Sky blue

Copied #3F888F

RAL 5018

#3F888F

Turquoise blue

Copied #7E8B92

RAL 7000

#7E8B92

Squirrel grey

Copied #49678D

RAL 5023

#49678D

Distant blue

Copied #256D7B

RAL 5021

#256D7B

Water blue

Developer Exports

CSS Variables

:root {
  --p-process-blue-u: #008EC9;
  --p-process-blue-u-rgb: 0 142 201;
  --p-process-blue-u-hsl: 198 100% 39%;
}

Tailwind Scale

// tailwind.config.ts
export default {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        p-process-blue-u: {
          DEFAULT: "#008EC9",
          50: "#EBF6FB",
          100: "#D6EDF6",
          200: "#ADDBEE",
          300: "#80C7E4",
          400: "#40AAD7",
          500: "#008EC9",
          600: "#0079AB",
          700: "#005C83",
          800: "#00405A",
          900: "#002432",
          950: "#001118",
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

Design Token JSON

{
  "name": "Pantone Process Blue U",
  "hex": "#008EC9",
  "rgb": {
    "r": 0,
    "g": 142,
    "b": 201
  },
  "cmyk": {
    "c": 100,
    "m": 29,
    "y": 0,
    "k": 21
  },
  "hsl": {
    "h": 198,
    "s": 100,
    "l": 39
  },
  "lab": {
    "l": 55.64,
    "a": -10.38,
    "b": -39.28
  },
  "pantone": {
    "code": "Pantone Process Blue U",
    "finish": "uncoated",
    "family": "blue"
  }
}

Convert Pantone Process Blue U

Pantone → HEX Pantone → RGB Pantone → CMYK Pantone → LAB Pantone → RAL Browse all colors