#81BBED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.1% 0.094 245.4), rgb(129, 187, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.26:1).
About this color
#81BBED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.094 and its hue 245°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.26:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.094) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.26:1 |
| White text | 2.04:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BBED |
| RGB | rgb(129, 187, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 75%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.1% 0.094 245.4) |
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 #81BBED | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc -44.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #81BBED | 10.26:1 | AAA | Lc 64.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BBED text on white | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc 39.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BBED text on black | 10.26:1 | AAA | Lc -62.6 | 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
#EFF7FE
oklch(97.2% 0.013 244.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DCECFB
oklch(93.6% 0.027 246.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BDDDFA
oklch(88.4% 0.053 245.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81BBED
oklch(77.1% 0.094 245.4)
-
Step 400
400
#3FA8F7
oklch(70.7% 0.15 245.2)
-
Step 500
500
#0090E3
oklch(63.2% 0.16 245.3)
-
Step 600
600
#0079C0
oklch(55.7% 0.141 245.3)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A2
oklch(49% 0.125 245.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005386
oklch(42.8% 0.108 245.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004571
oklch(37.8% 0.096 245.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002945
oklch(27.1% 0.068 244.5)
#81BBED 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) | #A6BBEF | 0.043 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #98B0EC | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #53C7CC | 0.078 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.094 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BBED
#81BBED
oklch(77.1% 0.094 245.4)
- #DEA873
#DEA873
oklch(77% 0.094 65.1)
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 #81BBED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.030
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.034
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.041
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.045
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.047
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.048
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.052
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.052
Use #81BBED 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.