#85B1EB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.1% 0.097 255.6), rgb(133, 177, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.48:1).
About this color
#85B1EB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.097 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.48:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.097) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.48:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B1EB |
| RGB | rgb(133, 177, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 72%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.1% 0.097 255.6) |
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 #85B1EB | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85B1EB | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc 60.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B1EB text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B1EB text on black | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc -58.6 | 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
#E2EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.018 253.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBF0
oklch(88.6% 0.034 255.2)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C3E8
oklch(80.9% 0.061 255.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85B1EB
oklch(75.1% 0.097 255.6)
-
Step 500
500
#548BD3
oklch(63.1% 0.124 255.8)
-
Step 600
600
#3874C0
oklch(55.7% 0.134 255.6)
-
Step 700
700
#2A61A6
oklch(49.2% 0.125 255.6)
-
Step 800
800
#244F86
oklch(42.6% 0.103 255.8)
-
Step 900
900
#22426B
oklch(37.6% 0.08 255.5)
-
Step 950
950
#15273F
oklch(27% 0.051 256.1)
#85B1EB 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) | #9BB4EE | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FAAEA | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5EBEC5 | 0.085 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B1EB
#85B1EB
oklch(75.1% 0.097 255.6)
- #D2A666
#D2A666
oklch(75.2% 0.097 75.7)
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 #85B1EB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.058
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.059
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.059
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.063
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.073
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.074
Use #85B1EB 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.