#81BDF9
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.1% 0.106 249.3), rgb(129, 189, 249).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.58:1).
About this color
#81BDF9 is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.106 and its hue 249°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.58:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.106) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.58:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BDF9 |
| RGB | rgb(129, 189, 249) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 91%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.1% 0.106 249.3) |
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 #81BDF9 | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #81BDF9 | 10.58:1 | AAA | Lc 65.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BDF9 text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BDF9 text on black | 10.58:1 | AAA | Lc -64.1 | 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
#EEF6FF
oklch(97% 0.015 251.2)
-
Step 100
100
#DBECFE
oklch(93.6% 0.03 249.7)
-
Step 200
200
#BCDDFF
oklch(88.5% 0.059 249.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81BDF9
oklch(78.1% 0.106 249.3)
-
Step 400
400
#43A6FF
oklch(70.8% 0.159 249.2)
-
Step 500
500
#008DEE
oklch(63.2% 0.176 249.3)
-
Step 600
600
#0076C9
oklch(55.6% 0.155 249.4)
-
Step 700
700
#0063AA
oklch(49.1% 0.137 249.4)
-
Step 800
800
#00518C
oklch(42.7% 0.118 249.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004376
oklch(37.6% 0.105 249.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002849
oklch(27.1% 0.074 248.8)
#81BDF9 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) | #A5BFFC | 0.043 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #95B3F8 | 0.032 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #49CBD1 | 0.092 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.106 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BDF9
#81BDF9
oklch(78.1% 0.106 249.3)
- #E4AB69
#E4AB69
oklch(78.1% 0.107 69.2)
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 #81BDF9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.019
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.031
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.035
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.039
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.047
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.055
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.056
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.057
Use #81BDF9 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.