#85BDF9
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.3% 0.104 250.9), rgb(133, 189, 249).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.64:1).
About this color
#85BDF9 is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 251°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.017 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.64:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.64:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85BDF9 |
| RGB | rgb(133, 189, 249) |
| HSL | hsl(211, 91%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.104 250.9) |
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 #85BDF9 | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #85BDF9 | 10.64:1 | AAA | Lc 66.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85BDF9 text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85BDF9 text on black | 10.64:1 | AAA | Lc -64.4 | 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
#DCECFE
oklch(93.7% 0.03 251.3)
-
Step 200
200
#BDDDFF
oklch(88.5% 0.058 250.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#85BDF9
oklch(78.3% 0.104 250.9)
-
Step 400
400
#49A5FF
oklch(70.8% 0.158 250.7)
-
Step 500
500
#008BF3
oklch(63.1% 0.184 251.1)
-
Step 600
600
#0075CD
oklch(55.6% 0.161 250.9)
-
Step 700
700
#0062AE
oklch(49.1% 0.143 251.1)
-
Step 800
800
#00508F
oklch(42.6% 0.123 250.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004379
oklch(37.8% 0.109 250.7)
-
Step 950
950
#00274B
oklch(27% 0.079 251.1)
#85BDF9 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) | #A5BFFC | 0.038 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97B3F8 | 0.031 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #53CBD1 | 0.091 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85BDF9
#85BDF9
oklch(78.3% 0.104 250.9)
- #E3AD6B
#E3AD6B
oklch(78.4% 0.105 70.9)
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 #85BDF9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.017
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.032
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.034
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.035
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.046
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.054
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.056
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.057
Use #85BDF9 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.