#85B5EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.1% 0.098 253.6), rgb(133, 181, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.85:1).
About this color
#85B5EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.098 and its hue 254°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.85:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.098) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.85:1 |
| White text | 2.13:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B5EF |
| RGB | rgb(133, 181, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(213, 77%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.1% 0.098 253.6) |
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 #85B5EF | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc -46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85B5EF | 9.85:1 | AAA | Lc 62.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B5EF text on white | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc 41.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B5EF text on black | 9.85:1 | AAA | Lc -60.5 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F0F6FE
oklch(97.1% 0.012 255.5)
-
Step 100
100
#DDEBFD
oklch(93.5% 0.029 254.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C1DCFD
oklch(88.5% 0.054 253.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#85B5EF
oklch(76.1% 0.098 253.6)
-
Step 400
400
#53A3FF
oklch(70.7% 0.157 253.6)
-
Step 500
500
#0088FD
oklch(63.1% 0.199 253.8)
-
Step 600
600
#0072D6
oklch(55.6% 0.176 253.8)
-
Step 700
700
#0060B5
oklch(49.2% 0.155 253.6)
-
Step 800
800
#004E96
oklch(42.7% 0.135 253.8)
-
Step 900
900
#00417E
oklch(37.7% 0.118 253.6)
-
Step 950
950
#01264D
oklch(26.9% 0.083 253.5)
#85B5EF 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) | #9FB7F2 | 0.032 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92ADEE | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5BC2C9 | 0.086 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.098 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B5EF
#85B5EF
oklch(76.1% 0.098 253.6)
- #D7A868
#D7A868
oklch(76.1% 0.099 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 #85B5EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.023
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.049
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.049
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.055
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.056
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.057
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.066
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.067
Use #85B5EF 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.