#81BCBF
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(75.6% 0.061 200), rgb(129, 188, 191).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.87:1).
About this color
#81BCBF is a medium-light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.061 and its hue 200°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.047 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.87:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.061) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.87:1 |
| White text | 2.12:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BCBF |
| RGB | rgb(129, 188, 191) |
| HSL | hsl(183, 33%, 63%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.6% 0.061 200) |
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 #81BCBF | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc -46.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #81BCBF | 9.87:1 | AAA | Lc 62.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BCBF text on white | 2.12:1 | Fails | Lc 41.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BCBF text on black | 9.87:1 | AAA | Lc -60.6 | 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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F2F6F7
oklch(97% 0.004 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E2ECED
oklch(93.6% 0.011 204.1)
-
Step 200
200
#CADEDE
oklch(88.6% 0.021 196.8)
-
Step 300
300
#A5C9CA
oklch(81% 0.038 198.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#81BCBF
oklch(75.6% 0.061 200)
-
Step 500
500
#48989C
oklch(63.1% 0.078 199.8)
-
Step 600
600
#238287
oklch(55.6% 0.085 200.3)
-
Step 700
700
#126E72
oklch(49.1% 0.079 199.5)
-
Step 800
800
#155A5D
oklch(42.8% 0.065 199.3)
-
Step 900
900
#1A4A4C
oklch(37.8% 0.051 199)
-
Step 950
950
#112B2D
oklch(27% 0.032 202.1)
#81BCBF 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) | #B4B7BF | 0.063 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A9AEBF | 0.059 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #6AC0BD | 0.025 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.061 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BCBF
#81BCBF
oklch(75.6% 0.061 200)
- #D4A1A0
#D4A1A0
oklch(75.6% 0.061 19.9)
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 #81BCBF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.047
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.052
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.054
- Muted Teal #90B494 ΔE 0.057
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.058
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.059
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.064
Use #81BCBF 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.