#81BBFF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.9% 0.115 253.1), rgb(129, 187, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.48:1).
About this color
#81BBFF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.115 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.48:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.115) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.48:1 |
| White text | 2.00:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BBFF |
| RGB | rgb(129, 187, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 100%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.9% 0.115 253.1) |
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 #81BBFF | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc -43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #81BBFF | 10.48:1 | AAA | Lc 65.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BBFF text on white | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc 38.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BBFF text on black | 10.48:1 | AAA | Lc -63.7 | 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
#EFF6FF
oklch(97% 0.014 254.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DCECFF
oklch(93.7% 0.031 252.7)
-
Step 200
200
#BFDCFF
oklch(88.5% 0.058 253.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81BBFF
oklch(77.9% 0.115 253.1)
-
Step 400
400
#51A3FF
oklch(70.6% 0.157 253.2)
-
Step 500
500
#0089FA
oklch(63.1% 0.195 253)
-
Step 600
600
#0073D4
oklch(55.6% 0.172 253.1)
-
Step 700
700
#0060B3
oklch(49% 0.152 253.2)
-
Step 800
800
#004F94
oklch(42.8% 0.131 252.8)
-
Step 900
900
#00417D
oklch(37.6% 0.117 253.3)
-
Step 950
950
#00264E
oklch(27% 0.085 253.5)
#81BBFF 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) | #A0BEFF | 0.037 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90B2FE | 0.027 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #45CAD3 | 0.099 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BBFF
#81BBFF
oklch(77.9% 0.115 253.1)
- #E4AB5F
#E4AB5F
oklch(77.9% 0.115 72.7)
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 #81BBFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.011
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.040
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.041
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.042
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.055
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.063
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
- Deep Sky Blue #00BFFF ΔE 0.067
Use #81BBFF 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.