#85ADE9
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.2% 0.098 258.3), rgb(133, 173, 233).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.15:1).
About this color
#85ADE9 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.098 and its hue 258°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.15:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.098) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.15:1 |
| White text | 2.29:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85ADE9 |
| RGB | rgb(133, 173, 233) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 69%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.098 258.3) |
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 #85ADE9 | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc -50.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85ADE9 | 9.15:1 | AAA | Lc 58.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #85ADE9 text on white | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc 45.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #85ADE9 text on black | 9.15:1 | AAA | Lc -56.9 | 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
#E3EAF6
oklch(93.5% 0.018 261.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDAF0
oklch(88.5% 0.034 259.4)
-
Step 300
300
#A9C2E9
oklch(80.9% 0.062 259.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85ADE9
oklch(74.2% 0.098 258.3)
-
Step 500
500
#588AD4
oklch(63.1% 0.125 258)
-
Step 600
600
#3D72C1
oklch(55.5% 0.136 258.3)
-
Step 700
700
#2F5FA7
oklch(49% 0.127 258.4)
-
Step 800
800
#284E87
oklch(42.6% 0.104 258.4)
-
Step 900
900
#25416C
oklch(37.6% 0.082 258.7)
-
Step 950
950
#16273F
oklch(27.1% 0.05 257.1)
#85ADE9 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) | #97B0EC | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8BA7E8 | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #60BAC2 | 0.086 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.098 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85ADE9
#85ADE9
oklch(74.2% 0.098 258.3)
- #CDA461
#CDA461
oklch(74.2% 0.098 78.6)
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 #85ADE9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.038
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.065
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.066
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.066
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.070
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.071
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.076
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.077
Use #85ADE9 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.