#81A8EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.2% 0.112 261.9), rgb(129, 168, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.78:1).
About this color
#81A8EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.112 and its hue 262°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.046 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.78:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.112) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.78:1 |
| White text | 2.39:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81A8EF |
| RGB | rgb(129, 168, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(219, 77%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.2% 0.112 261.9) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #81A8EF | 2.39:1 | Fails | Lc -52.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81A8EF | 8.78:1 | AAA | Lc 57.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81A8EF text on white | 2.39:1 | Fails | Lc 47.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81A8EF text on black | 8.78:1 | AAA | Lc -55.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F2F6FC
oklch(97.2% 0.009 258.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EAF8
oklch(93.6% 0.02 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDAF4
oklch(88.5% 0.039 261.5)
-
Step 300
300
#A8C1EF
oklch(80.8% 0.071 262.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81A8EF
oklch(73.2% 0.112 261.9)
-
Step 500
500
#5887DF
oklch(63.1% 0.143 261.9)
-
Step 600
600
#3D6FCD
oklch(55.6% 0.155 261.7)
-
Step 700
700
#305CB2
oklch(49.1% 0.145 262.1)
-
Step 800
800
#284C90
oklch(42.8% 0.12 261.7)
-
Step 900
900
#254073
oklch(37.8% 0.093 261.9)
-
Step 950
950
#162643
oklch(27.1% 0.058 261.5)
#81A8EF with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #8EADF2 | 0.022 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #81A3ED | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #55B7C1 | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.112 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81A8EF
#81A8EF
oklch(73.2% 0.112 261.9)
- #CBA14E
#CBA14E
oklch(73.1% 0.113 82.4)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #81A8EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.046
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.048
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.064
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.072
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.077
- Chefchaouen Blue #4895EF ΔE 0.082
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.083
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.084
Use #81A8EF in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.