#81B2EB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.1% 0.098 252.8), rgb(129, 178, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.50:1).
About this color
#81B2EB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.098 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.50:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.098) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.50:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81B2EB |
| RGB | rgb(129, 178, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 73%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.1% 0.098 252.8) |
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 #81B2EB | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81B2EB | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc 60.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81B2EB text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81B2EB text on black | 9.50:1 | AAA | Lc -58.7 | 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.018 253.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CADBF0
oklch(88.5% 0.034 253.7)
-
Step 300
300
#A5C4E8
oklch(81% 0.061 252.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81B2EB
oklch(75.1% 0.098 252.8)
-
Step 500
500
#4E8CD3
oklch(63.1% 0.125 253.2)
-
Step 600
600
#2F75C0
oklch(55.6% 0.136 252.8)
-
Step 700
700
#2162A6
oklch(49.1% 0.127 252.8)
-
Step 800
800
#1E5086
oklch(42.7% 0.104 253)
-
Step 900
900
#1E436B
oklch(37.7% 0.081 252.3)
-
Step 950
950
#13273F
oklch(26.9% 0.052 254)
#81B2EB 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) | #9CB4EE | 0.033 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FAAEA | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #56BFC5 | 0.086 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.098 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81B2EB
#81B2EB
oklch(75.1% 0.098 252.8)
- #D4A466
#D4A466
oklch(75% 0.098 72.5)
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 #81B2EB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.032
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.059
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.059
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.062
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.064
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.069
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.072
Use #81B2EB 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.