#4681B5 · #AF6172
Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 88/100 (split-complementary) · Distinguishable 94/100 (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 Dusty Red are very different (ΔE 53). They have distinctly different hues (139° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.
Steel Blue text on Dusty Red: 1.06:1 (Fail); Dusty Red text on Steel Blue: 1.06:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #00091E clears it.
Split-complementary — split-complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 88/100). 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 #00091E clears AA.
Their CIE76 ΔE is about 53 — very different.
clearly different colours (ΔE 53).
Explore each color: Steel Blue #4681B5 · Dusty Red #AF6172 · Shades: Steel Blue shades · Dusty Red shades · Contrast checker →