#81A9CD
Closest named color: Bluegrey (#85A3B2). oklch(71.9% 0.068 246.1), rgb(129, 169, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.49:1).
About this color
#81A9CD is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.068 and its hue 246°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Bluegrey (#85A3B2), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.49:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.068) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Bluegrey (#85A3B2) |
| Black text | 8.49:1 |
| White text | 2.47:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81A9CD |
| RGB | rgb(129, 169, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 43%, 65%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.9% 0.068 246.1) |
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 #81A9CD | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc -53.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81A9CD | 8.49:1 | AAA | Lc 55.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81A9CD text on white | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc 48.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81A9CD text on black | 8.49:1 | AAA | Lc -53.4 | 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
#F2F6F9
oklch(97.1% 0.006 239.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF2
oklch(93.6% 0.013 244.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CDDBE8
oklch(88.5% 0.023 246.1)
-
Step 300
300
#ABC4DB
oklch(80.9% 0.042 246.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81A9CD
oklch(71.9% 0.068 246.1)
-
Step 500
500
#5B8FBB
oklch(63.1% 0.087 245.3)
-
Step 600
600
#4078A8
oklch(55.6% 0.096 246.5)
-
Step 700
700
#326590
oklch(49.1% 0.088 246.3)
-
Step 800
800
#2A5275
oklch(42.6% 0.074 247)
-
Step 900
900
#27445E
oklch(37.6% 0.057 247)
-
Step 950
950
#172837
oklch(26.9% 0.036 246.3)
#81A9CD 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) | #9BA9CF | 0.033 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91A1CC | 0.027 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #67B1B5 | 0.056 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.068 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81A9CD
#81A9CD
oklch(71.9% 0.068 246.1)
- #C29C77
#C29C77
oklch(71.9% 0.068 65.6)
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 #81A9CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.038
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.040
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.042
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.043
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.053
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.057
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.065
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.067
Use #81A9CD 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.