#87BCED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.6% 0.09 247.1), rgb(135, 188, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.44:1).
About this color
#87BCED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 247°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.44:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.44:1 |
| White text | 2.01:1 |
Values
| HEX | #87BCED |
| RGB | rgb(135, 188, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 74%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.6% 0.09 247.1) |
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 #87BCED | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc -43.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #87BCED | 10.44:1 | AAA | Lc 65.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #87BCED text on white | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc 38.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #87BCED text on black | 10.44:1 | AAA | Lc -63.5 | 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
#EFF6FD
oklch(97% 0.012 248)
-
Step 100
100
#DDECFB
oklch(93.6% 0.026 248.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C0DDF9
oklch(88.5% 0.05 247.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#87BCED
oklch(77.6% 0.09 247.1)
-
Step 400
400
#4BA7F5
oklch(70.7% 0.144 247.2)
-
Step 500
500
#008FE7
oklch(63.2% 0.166 246.8)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C3
oklch(55.7% 0.146 246.8)
-
Step 700
700
#0064A5
oklch(49% 0.13 247.2)
-
Step 800
800
#005289
oklch(42.7% 0.113 247.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004473
oklch(37.7% 0.1 247.4)
-
Step 950
950
#002847
oklch(27% 0.072 247.4)
#87BCED 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 | 0.040 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9BB2EC | 0.033 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5FC7CC | 0.076 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #87BCED
#87BCED
oklch(77.6% 0.09 247.1)
- #DDAB77
#DDAB77
oklch(77.5% 0.09 67)
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 #87BCED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.030
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.032
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.038
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.040
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.042
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.042
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.047
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.050
Use #87BCED 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.