#81B7EA
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.1% 0.093 247.7), rgb(129, 183, 234).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.89:1).
About this color
#81B7EA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.093 and its hue 248°. 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 9.89:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.093) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.89:1 |
| White text | 2.12:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81B7EA |
| RGB | rgb(129, 183, 234) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 71%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.1% 0.093 247.7) |
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 #81B7EA | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc -46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81B7EA | 9.89:1 | AAA | Lc 62.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81B7EA text on white | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc 41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81B7EA text on black | 9.89:1 | AAA | Lc -60.7 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#EFF6FE
oklch(97% 0.013 251.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DCECFB
oklch(93.6% 0.027 246.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BFDDFA
oklch(88.5% 0.051 247.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81B7EA
oklch(76.1% 0.093 247.7)
-
Step 400
400
#48A7F8
oklch(70.8% 0.149 247.6)
-
Step 500
500
#008EE9
oklch(63.1% 0.169 247.8)
-
Step 600
600
#0077C5
oklch(55.6% 0.149 247.9)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A6
oklch(49.1% 0.131 247.6)
-
Step 800
800
#00528A
oklch(42.8% 0.115 247.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004474
oklch(37.7% 0.101 247.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002847
oklch(27% 0.072 247.4)
#81B7EA 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) | #A2B8EC | 0.039 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #95ADE9 | 0.033 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #56C3C8 | 0.079 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.093 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81B7EA
#81B7EA
oklch(76.1% 0.093 247.7)
- #D9A670
#D9A670
oklch(76% 0.093 67.3)
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 #81B7EA, 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 0.044
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.049
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.050
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.052
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.053
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.062
Use #81B7EA 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.