#0489B1 · #B3663D
Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 94/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 100/100 (easy to tell apart) · Match 0/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.
Steel Blue and Clay are very different (ΔE 79). They have near-opposite hues (173° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.
Steel Blue text on Clay: 1.07:1 (Fail); Clay text on Steel Blue: 1.07:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #000F1A clears it.
Complementary — complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 94/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.
Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.1:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #000F1A clears AA.
Their CIE76 ΔE is about 79 — very different.
clearly different colours (ΔE 79).
Explore each color: Steel Blue #0489B1 · Clay #B3663D · Shades: Steel Blue shades · Clay shades · Contrast checker →