#81ACED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.9% 0.106 258.4), rgb(129, 172, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.05:1).
About this color
#81ACED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.106 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 9.05:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.106) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.05:1 |
| White text | 2.31:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81ACED |
| RGB | rgb(129, 172, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 75%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.9% 0.106 258.4) |
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 #81ACED | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc -50.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81ACED | 9.05:1 | AAA | Lc 58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACED text on white | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc 45.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ACED text on black | 9.05:1 | 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
#F2F6FC
oklch(97.2% 0.009 258.3)
-
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
#A7C2EC
oklch(80.8% 0.067 259.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81ACED
oklch(73.9% 0.106 258.4)
-
Step 500
500
#5489DA
oklch(63.1% 0.135 258.6)
-
Step 600
600
#3871C8
oklch(55.5% 0.148 258.7)
-
Step 700
700
#2A5FAD
oklch(49.2% 0.137 258.3)
-
Step 800
800
#244E8C
oklch(42.8% 0.113 258.2)
-
Step 900
900
#224170
oklch(37.7% 0.089 258.5)
-
Step 950
950
#152641
oklch(26.9% 0.056 259.3)
#81ACED 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) | #94B0F0 | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #87A6EC | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #56BAC3 | 0.093 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.106 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81ACED
#81ACED
oklch(73.9% 0.106 258.4)
- #CFA259
#CFA259
oklch(73.9% 0.106 78)
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 #81ACED, 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
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.073
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.074
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.074
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.078
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.078
Use #81ACED 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.