#85B3EC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.6% 0.096 254.2), rgb(133, 179, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.65:1).
About this color
#85B3EC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.096 and its hue 254°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.65:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.096) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.65:1 |
| White text | 2.17:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B3EC |
| RGB | rgb(133, 179, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(213, 73%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.6% 0.096 254.2) |
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 #85B3EC | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc -47.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85B3EC | 9.65:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B3EC text on white | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc 42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B3EC text on black | 9.65:1 | AAA | Lc -59.5 | 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
#CBDBEF
oklch(88.6% 0.033 254)
-
Step 300
300
#A6C3E7
oklch(80.8% 0.06 254)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85B3EC
oklch(75.6% 0.096 254.2)
-
Step 500
500
#528CD2
oklch(63.2% 0.123 254.2)
-
Step 600
600
#3474BF
oklch(55.5% 0.134 254.3)
-
Step 700
700
#2761A5
oklch(49% 0.125 254.5)
-
Step 800
800
#225086
oklch(42.8% 0.103 254.3)
-
Step 900
900
#21436B
oklch(37.8% 0.08 253.9)
-
Step 950
950
#14273F
oklch(27% 0.052 255)
#85B3EC 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) | #9DB5EF | 0.030 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91ABEB | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5DC0C6 | 0.085 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.096 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B3EC
#85B3EC
oklch(75.6% 0.096 254.2)
- #D4A768
#D4A768
oklch(75.6% 0.096 74.8)
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 #85B3EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.028
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.054
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.054
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.056
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.059
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.060
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.070
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.071
Use #85B3EC 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.