#81ADE6
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.8% 0.096 255.2), rgb(129, 173, 230).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.05:1).
About this color
#81ADE6 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.043 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.05:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.05:1 |
| White text | 2.31:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81ADE6 |
| RGB | rgb(129, 173, 230) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 67%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.8% 0.096 255.2) |
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 #81ADE6 | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc -50.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81ADE6 | 9.05:1 | AAA | Lc 58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ADE6 text on white | 2.31:1 | Fails | Lc 45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81ADE6 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.018 253.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBEF
oklch(88.6% 0.033 254)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C3E7
oklch(80.9% 0.06 254.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81ADE6
oklch(73.8% 0.096 255.2)
-
Step 500
500
#548BD2
oklch(63% 0.123 255.5)
-
Step 600
600
#3774BF
oklch(55.6% 0.133 255.1)
-
Step 700
700
#2961A5
oklch(49.1% 0.124 255.1)
-
Step 800
800
#244F86
oklch(42.6% 0.103 255.8)
-
Step 900
900
#22426B
oklch(37.6% 0.08 255.5)
-
Step 950
950
#15273F
oklch(27% 0.051 256.1)
#81ADE6 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) | #97B0E9 | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8BA6E5 | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5ABAC1 | 0.084 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.096 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81ADE6
#81ADE6
oklch(73.8% 0.096 255.2)
- #CEA263
#CEA263
oklch(73.9% 0.096 75.3)
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 #81ADE6, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.043
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.066
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.069
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.070
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.070
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.071
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.074
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.074
Use #81ADE6 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.