#81ABE5
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.3% 0.096 256.6), rgb(129, 171, 229).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.89:1).
About this color
#81ABE5 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 257°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.047 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.89:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.89:1 |
| White text | 2.36:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81ABE5 |
| RGB | rgb(129, 171, 229) |
| HSL | hsl(215, 66%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.096 256.6) |
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 #81ABE5 | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc -51.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81ABE5 | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc 57.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ABE5 text on white | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc 46.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ABE5 text on black | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc -55.6 | 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.017 256.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBF0
oklch(88.6% 0.034 255.2)
-
Step 300
300
#A8C3E8
oklch(81% 0.06 256.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81ABE5
oklch(73.3% 0.096 256.6)
-
Step 500
500
#568BD3
oklch(63.2% 0.123 256.4)
-
Step 600
600
#3A73C0
oklch(55.5% 0.134 256.7)
-
Step 700
700
#2C60A6
oklch(49% 0.125 256.7)
-
Step 800
800
#264F86
oklch(42.7% 0.103 256.5)
-
Step 900
900
#24426B
oklch(37.7% 0.079 256.6)
-
Step 950
950
#15273F
oklch(27% 0.051 256.1)
#81ABE5 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) | #95AEE8 | 0.027 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8AA4E4 | 0.020 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5BB8BF | 0.085 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.096 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81ABE5
#81ABE5
oklch(73.3% 0.096 256.6)
- #CBA161
#CBA161
oklch(73.4% 0.096 76.9)
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 #81ABE5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.047
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.065
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.070
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.072
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.073
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.074
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.074
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.075
Use #81ABE5 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.