#81AADD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(72.8% 0.087 254.3), rgb(129, 170, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.72:1).
About this color
#81AADD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.087 and its hue 254°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.056 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.72:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.087) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.72:1 |
| White text | 2.40:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81AADD |
| RGB | rgb(129, 170, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(213, 58%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.8% 0.087 254.3) |
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 #81AADD | 2.40:1 | Fails | Lc -52.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81AADD | 8.72:1 | AAA | Lc 56.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81AADD text on white | 2.40:1 | Fails | Lc 47.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81AADD text on black | 8.72:1 | AAA | Lc -54.7 | 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
#F2F6FA
oklch(97.1% 0.007 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF4
oklch(93.7% 0.015 251.2)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDBED
oklch(88.6% 0.03 253)
-
Step 300
300
#A9C3E4
oklch(80.9% 0.055 254.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81AADD
oklch(72.8% 0.087 254.3)
-
Step 500
500
#588CCB
oklch(63.1% 0.111 254.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3D75B8
oklch(55.6% 0.12 254.3)
-
Step 700
700
#2F629F
oklch(49.2% 0.113 254.4)
-
Step 800
800
#285081
oklch(42.7% 0.094 254.7)
-
Step 900
900
#254367
oklch(37.8% 0.072 254)
-
Step 950
950
#16273C
oklch(26.9% 0.046 254.4)
#81AADD 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) | #97ACDF | 0.028 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CA3DC | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5FB5BB | 0.076 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.087 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81AADD
#81AADD
oklch(72.8% 0.087 254.3)
- #C89F68
#C89F68
oklch(72.8% 0.087 73.9)
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 #81AADD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.056
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.061
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.061
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.063
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.064
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.067
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.071
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.072
Use #81AADD 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.