#81BDFD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.2% 0.111 250.9), rgb(129, 189, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.63:1).
About this color
#81BDFD is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 251°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.63:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.63:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #81BDFD |
| RGB | rgb(129, 189, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(211, 97%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.111 250.9) |
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 #81BDFD | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #81BDFD | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc 65.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #81BDFD text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #81BDFD text on black | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc -64.4 | 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
#DBECFF
oklch(93.6% 0.032 251.1)
-
Step 200
200
#BDDDFF
oklch(88.5% 0.058 250.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#81BDFD
oklch(78.2% 0.111 250.9)
-
Step 400
400
#49A5FF
oklch(70.8% 0.158 250.7)
-
Step 500
500
#008BF3
oklch(63.1% 0.184 251.1)
-
Step 600
600
#0075CD
oklch(55.6% 0.161 250.9)
-
Step 700
700
#0062AE
oklch(49.1% 0.143 251.1)
-
Step 800
800
#00508F
oklch(42.6% 0.123 250.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004379
oklch(37.8% 0.109 250.7)
-
Step 950
950
#00274B
oklch(27% 0.079 251.1)
#81BDFD 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) | #A3BFFF | 0.040 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #94B3FC | 0.031 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #46CCD3 | 0.097 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #81BDFD
#81BDFD
oklch(78.2% 0.111 250.9)
- #E5AC65
#E5AC65
oklch(78.3% 0.111 71.1)
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 #81BDFD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.016
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.034
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.036
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.038
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.049
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.058
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.060
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.061
Use #81BDFD 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.