#81AFDD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.8% 0.083 249), rgb(129, 175, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.10:1).
About this color
#81AFDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 249°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.051 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.10:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.10:1 |
| White text | 2.30:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81AFDD |
| RGB | rgb(129, 175, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 58%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.8% 0.083 249) |
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 #81AFDD | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc -50.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81AFDD | 9.10:1 | AAA | Lc 58.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81AFDD text on white | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc 45.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #81AFDD text on black | 9.10:1 | AAA | Lc -56.7 | 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
#E2EBF4
oklch(93.6% 0.016 248)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBEC
oklch(88.5% 0.029 249.8)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C4E1
oklch(80.8% 0.052 248.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81AFDD
oklch(73.8% 0.083 249)
-
Step 500
500
#538EC7
oklch(63.1% 0.106 249.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3577B4
oklch(55.6% 0.116 249.2)
-
Step 700
700
#27649B
oklch(49.1% 0.108 249)
-
Step 800
800
#22527D
oklch(42.7% 0.088 248.5)
-
Step 900
900
#214465
oklch(37.7% 0.07 248.9)
-
Step 950
950
#14283B
oklch(27% 0.044 248.6)
#81AFDD 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) | #9DB0DF | 0.035 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91A7DC | 0.027 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5FBABE | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81AFDD
#81AFDD
oklch(73.8% 0.083 249)
- #CDA170
#CDA170
oklch(73.8% 0.083 69)
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 #81AFDD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.051
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.055
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.061
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.061
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.062
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.065
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.067
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.067
Use #81AFDD 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.