#85ACED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.1% 0.104 260.4), rgb(133, 172, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.12:1).
About this color
#85ACED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 260°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.12:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.12:1 |
| White text | 2.30:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85ACED |
| RGB | rgb(133, 172, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 74%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.1% 0.104 260.4) |
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 #85ACED | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc -50.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85ACED | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc 58.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #85ACED text on white | 2.30:1 | Fails | Lc 45.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #85ACED text on black | 9.12:1 | AAA | Lc -56.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EAF7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 263)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDAF2
oklch(88.5% 0.036 261.3)
-
Step 300
300
#A9C2EB
oklch(80.9% 0.064 260.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85ACED
oklch(74.1% 0.104 260.4)
-
Step 500
500
#5988D9
oklch(63% 0.133 260.7)
-
Step 600
600
#3E71C7
oklch(55.7% 0.145 260.2)
-
Step 700
700
#305EAC
oklch(49.1% 0.135 260.3)
-
Step 800
800
#294D8B
oklch(42.7% 0.111 260.5)
-
Step 900
900
#25416F
oklch(37.8% 0.086 259.8)
-
Step 950
950
#162641
oklch(27% 0.055 260.3)
#85ACED 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) | #94B0F0 | 0.022 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #88A6EC | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5EBAC3 | 0.092 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85ACED
#85ACED
oklch(74.1% 0.104 260.4)
- #CDA45B
#CDA45B
oklch(74.1% 0.103 80.5)
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 #85ACED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.037
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.059
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.066
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.072
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.073
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.077
- Cornflower Blue #6495ED ΔE 0.077
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.078
Use #85ACED 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.