#85BCED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.5% 0.091 246.2), rgb(133, 188, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.41:1).
About this color
#85BCED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.091 and its hue 246°. 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 10.41:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.091) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.41:1 |
| White text | 2.01:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85BCED |
| RGB | rgb(133, 188, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(208, 74%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.5% 0.091 246.2) |
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 #85BCED | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc -43.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #85BCED | 10.41:1 | AAA | Lc 64.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85BCED text on white | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc 39.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85BCED text on black | 10.41:1 | AAA | Lc -63.3 | 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
#EFF6FD
oklch(97% 0.012 248)
-
Step 100
100
#DCECFB
oklch(93.6% 0.027 246.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BFDDF9
oklch(88.5% 0.05 246.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#85BCED
oklch(77.5% 0.091 246.2)
-
Step 400
400
#46A7F5
oklch(70.6% 0.146 246.3)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE5
oklch(63.1% 0.163 246.3)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C1
oklch(55.5% 0.143 246.2)
-
Step 700
700
#0065A3
oklch(49.1% 0.126 245.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005287
oklch(42.6% 0.111 246.5)
-
Step 900
900
#004572
oklch(37.9% 0.097 246)
-
Step 950
950
#002846
oklch(26.9% 0.07 246.6)
#85BCED 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) | #A8BDEF | 0.042 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9BB2EC | 0.034 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5BC8CC | 0.077 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.091 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85BCED
#85BCED
oklch(77.5% 0.091 246.2)
- #DEAB76
#DEAB76
oklch(77.6% 0.091 66.9)
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 #85BCED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.031
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.038
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.041
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.043
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.044
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.048
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.051
Use #85BCED 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.