#81B8EA
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.3% 0.092 246.8), rgb(129, 184, 234).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.97:1).
About this color
#81B8EA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.092 and its hue 247°. 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 9.97:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.092) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.97:1 |
| White text | 2.10:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81B8EA |
| RGB | rgb(129, 184, 234) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 71%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.3% 0.092 246.8) |
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 #81B8EA | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc -45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81B8EA | 9.97:1 | AAA | Lc 62.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81B8EA text on white | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc 41.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81B8EA text on black | 9.97:1 | AAA | Lc -61.1 | 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)
#81B8EA
oklch(76.3% 0.092 246.8)
-
Step 400
400
#46A7F7
oklch(70.7% 0.148 246.9)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE6
oklch(63.1% 0.164 246.6)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C3
oklch(55.7% 0.146 246.8)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A5
oklch(49.2% 0.128 246.7)
-
Step 800
800
#005288
oklch(42.7% 0.112 246.9)
-
Step 900
900
#004472
oklch(37.6% 0.099 246.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002847
oklch(27% 0.072 247.4)
#81B8EA 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) | #A4B9EC | 0.042 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96AEE9 | 0.034 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #55C4C9 | 0.078 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.092 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81B8EA
#81B8EA
oklch(76.3% 0.092 246.8)
- #DAA771
#DAA771
oklch(76.4% 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 #81B8EA, 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 0.042
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.048
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.049
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.052
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.056
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.060
Use #81B8EA 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.