#81BBEE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.1% 0.095 246), rgb(129, 187, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.27:1).
About this color
#81BBEE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.095 and its hue 246°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.27:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.095) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.27:1 |
| White text | 2.04:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BBEE |
| RGB | rgb(129, 187, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 76%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.1% 0.095 246) |
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 #81BBEE | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc -44.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #81BBEE | 10.27:1 | AAA | Lc 64.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BBEE text on white | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc 39.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BBEE text on black | 10.27:1 | 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
#DCECFC
oklch(93.6% 0.028 248.1)
-
Step 200
200
#BDDDFB
oklch(88.4% 0.054 246.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81BBEE
oklch(77.1% 0.095 246)
-
Step 400
400
#3FA8F9
oklch(70.8% 0.152 245.9)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE4
oklch(63% 0.162 246)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C1
oklch(55.5% 0.143 246.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A3
oklch(49.1% 0.126 245.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005387
oklch(42.8% 0.11 245.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004571
oklch(37.8% 0.096 245.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002846
oklch(26.9% 0.07 246.6)
#81BBEE 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) | #A6BCF0 | 0.044 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #98B0ED | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #52C7CC | 0.080 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.095 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BBEE
#81BBEE
oklch(77.1% 0.095 246)
- #DEA972
#DEA972
oklch(77.2% 0.095 66.7)
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 #81BBEE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.029
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.034
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.041
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.046
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.047
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.048
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.051
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.052
Use #81BBEE 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.