#81AFFF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.4% 0.126 261), rgb(129, 175, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.50:1).
About this color
#81AFFF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.126 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.50:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.126) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.50:1 |
| White text | 2.20:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81AFFF |
| RGB | rgb(129, 175, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 100%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.126 261) |
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 #81AFFF | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc -48.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81AFFF | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc 60.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81AFFF text on white | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc 43.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81AFFF text on black | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc -58.8 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EAFA
oklch(93.5% 0.024 262.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C9DAF7
oklch(88.5% 0.044 261.2)
-
Step 300
300
#A4C2F4
oklch(81% 0.078 260.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81AFFF
oklch(75.4% 0.126 261)
-
Step 500
500
#4E86EA
oklch(63.1% 0.162 261)
-
Step 600
600
#326DD8
oklch(55.5% 0.176 261.1)
-
Step 700
700
#255BBB
oklch(49.2% 0.162 260.9)
-
Step 800
800
#204B97
oklch(42.8% 0.134 260.8)
-
Step 900
900
#1F3F79
oklch(37.7% 0.106 261.2)
-
Step 950
950
#132547
oklch(26.9% 0.068 261.9)
#81AFFF 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) | #90B5FF | 0.025 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #82A9FD | 0.015 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #48C0CC | 0.112 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.126 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81AFFF
#81AFFF
oklch(75.4% 0.126 261)
- #D8A646
#D8A646
oklch(75.4% 0.126 80.9)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes and gradients that use #81AFFF
These curated palettes and gradients contain exactly #81AFFF. Open one to see the full color scheme around it.
Gradients
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.028
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.056
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.061
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.072
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.074
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.076
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.081
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.087
Use #81AFFF 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.