#85BAFF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.9% 0.114 255.4), rgb(133, 186, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.46:1).
About this color
#85BAFF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.007 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.46:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.46:1 |
| White text | 2.00:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85BAFF |
| RGB | rgb(133, 186, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 100%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.9% 0.114 255.4) |
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 #85BAFF | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc -43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #85BAFF | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc 65.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85BAFF text on white | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc 38.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85BAFF text on black | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc -63.6 | 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
#EFF6FF
oklch(97% 0.014 254.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DCEBFF
oklch(93.5% 0.032 255.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C1DCFF
oklch(88.6% 0.056 255)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#85BAFF
oklch(77.9% 0.114 255.4)
-
Step 400
400
#59A2FF
oklch(70.7% 0.155 255.4)
-
Step 500
500
#1687FF
oklch(63.2% 0.201 255.3)
-
Step 600
600
#0070DC
oklch(55.6% 0.186 255.4)
-
Step 700
700
#005EBA
oklch(49.1% 0.163 255.3)
-
Step 800
800
#004D9A
oklch(42.7% 0.142 255.2)
-
Step 900
900
#004082
oklch(37.8% 0.125 255.2)
-
Step 950
950
#002551
oklch(27% 0.09 255.5)
#85BAFF 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) | #9FBEFF | 0.033 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90B2FE | 0.023 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #4FC9D2 | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85BAFF
#85BAFF
oklch(77.9% 0.114 255.4)
- #E1AC5E
#E1AC5E
oklch(77.8% 0.114 75.3)
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 #85BAFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.007
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.038
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.044
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.044
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.057
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.067
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.068
Use #85BAFF 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.