Deep navy blues like #000098 in branding and design

By the 000098 editorial team · Updated October 6, 2026 · 7 min read

Deep blues are among the most used colors in corporate identity. They look serious without the harshness of black, print reliably on most stock, and pass contrast with white text easily. #000098, the namesake of this site, is a textbook example: a pure 240° hue at about 30% lightness.

How #000098 compares with its neighbours

Color	HEX	Note
Navy (CSS)	#000080	Darker; the classic named navy
Dark Blue (CSS)	#00008B	Closest named color to #000098
#000098	#000098	Slightly brighter, more ink-like
Web-safe	#000099	Nearest of the 216 web-safe colors
Medium Blue (CSS)	#0000CD	Noticeably brighter
Midnight Blue (CSS)	#191970	Grayer and softer

Why institutions choose deep blue

• Perceived stability: dark blues are consistently rated as dependable and professional in brand-personality studies.
• Legibility: white on #000098 is 14.45:1, so it works for headers, footers and buttons.
• Low risk across cultures: blue has fewer strongly negative associations worldwide than many other hues.

The downside is crowding: if every competitor is blue, a navy identity needs a distinctive accent, typography or shape language to stand out.

Palettes that work with #000098

• Navy + gold: #000098 with a warm yellow such as #D9D02A or #F2C14E for premium and academic brands.
• Navy + coral: #000098 with #FF6F61 for a friendlier consumer feel.
• Navy monochrome: #000098, #3333B0, #8C8CFF and #E7E8F8 for calm, data-heavy interfaces.
• Navy + teal: #000098 with #2A9D8F for health and sustainability.

Open any of these in the palette generator to explore variations.

Printing deep blue

Very saturated blues sit near the edge of what CMYK inks can reproduce. Ask for a proof, and consider a spot color for logos. See our guide to RGB vs CMYK.