#81ACEC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.9% 0.104 258.1), rgb(129, 172, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.04:1).
About this color
#81ACEC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 258°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.039 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.04:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.04:1 |
| White text | 2.32:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81ACEC |
| RGB | rgb(129, 172, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 74%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.9% 0.104 258.1) |
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 #81ACEC | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc -50.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81ACEC | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc 58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACEC text on white | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc 45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACEC text on black | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc -56.4 | 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF7
oklch(93.7% 0.019 255.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDAF2
oklch(88.5% 0.037 259.8)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C2EB
oklch(80.8% 0.065 258.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81ACEC
oklch(73.9% 0.104 258.1)
-
Step 500
500
#5489D9
oklch(63% 0.134 258.4)
-
Step 600
600
#3872C6
oklch(55.6% 0.144 257.9)
-
Step 700
700
#2A5FAC
oklch(49.1% 0.135 258.1)
-
Step 800
800
#244E8B
oklch(42.7% 0.112 258)
-
Step 900
900
#22416F
oklch(37.6% 0.087 258.2)
-
Step 950
950
#152641
oklch(26.9% 0.056 259.3)
#81ACEC 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) | #94B0EF | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #88A5EB | 0.019 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #56BAC2 | 0.093 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81ACEC
#81ACEC
oklch(73.9% 0.104 258.1)
- #CEA25A
#CEA25A
oklch(73.8% 0.104 78.3)
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 #81ACEC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.039
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.060
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.069
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.073
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.073
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.074
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.077
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.078
Use #81ACEC 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.