#85B2EA
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.3% 0.095 254.3), rgb(133, 178, 234).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.55:1).
About this color
#85B2EA is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.095 and its hue 254°. 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 9.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.095) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.55:1 |
| White text | 2.19:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B2EA |
| RGB | rgb(133, 178, 234) |
| HSL | hsl(213, 71%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.3% 0.095 254.3) |
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 #85B2EA | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc -47.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85B2EA | 9.55:1 | AAA | Lc 60.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B2EA text on white | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc 43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B2EA text on black | 9.55:1 | AAA | Lc -59.0 | 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
#E2EBF5
oklch(93.6% 0.017 250.8)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBEF
oklch(88.6% 0.033 254)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C3E7
oklch(80.9% 0.06 254.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85B2EA
oklch(75.3% 0.095 254.3)
-
Step 500
500
#538CD1
oklch(63.2% 0.121 254.2)
-
Step 600
600
#3674BE
oklch(55.5% 0.132 254.5)
-
Step 700
700
#2861A4
oklch(49% 0.123 254.5)
-
Step 800
800
#235085
oklch(42.8% 0.101 254.3)
-
Step 900
900
#22436A
oklch(37.8% 0.078 253.9)
-
Step 950
950
#14273E
oklch(26.9% 0.05 254.1)
#85B2EA 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) | #9DB4ED | 0.030 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91AAE9 | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5FBEC5 | 0.082 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.095 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B2EA
#85B2EA
oklch(75.3% 0.095 254.3)
- #D3A669
#D3A669
oklch(75.3% 0.095 74)
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 #85B2EA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.056
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.057
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.059
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.063
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.071
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.074
Use #85B2EA 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.