#81ACDD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.2% 0.085 252.2), rgb(129, 172, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.87:1).
About this color
#81ACDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.085 and its hue 252°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.054 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.87:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.085) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.87:1 |
| White text | 2.36:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81ACDD |
| RGB | rgb(129, 172, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 58%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.2% 0.085 252.2) |
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 #81ACDD | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc -51.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81ACDD | 8.87:1 | AAA | Lc 57.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACDD text on white | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc 46.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACDD text on black | 8.87:1 | AAA | Lc -55.5 | 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
#A8C3E3
oklch(80.8% 0.054 252.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81ACDD
oklch(73.2% 0.085 252.2)
-
Step 500
500
#568DCA
oklch(63.2% 0.11 252.2)
-
Step 600
600
#3A76B6
oklch(55.6% 0.118 252)
-
Step 700
700
#2C639D
oklch(49.2% 0.11 252)
-
Step 800
800
#26517F
oklch(42.8% 0.09 252.1)
-
Step 900
900
#234366
oklch(37.6% 0.071 252.1)
-
Step 950
950
#15283C
oklch(27.1% 0.045 250.9)
#81ACDD 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) | #99AEDF | 0.031 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EA4DC | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5FB7BD | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.085 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81ACDD
#81ACDD
oklch(73.2% 0.085 252.2)
- #CAA06B
#CAA06B
oklch(73.2% 0.086 72.3)
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 #81ACDD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.054
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.061
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.062
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.062
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.062
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.065
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.068
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.073
Use #81ACDD 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.