#87BDEF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.9% 0.091 247.2), rgb(135, 189, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.55:1).
About this color
#87BDEF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.091 and its hue 247°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.091) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.55:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #87BDEF |
| RGB | rgb(135, 189, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(209, 76%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.9% 0.091 247.2) |
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 #87BDEF | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #87BDEF | 10.55:1 | AAA | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #87BDEF text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #87BDEF text on black | 10.55:1 | AAA | Lc -64.0 | 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
#BFDDFA
oklch(88.5% 0.051 247.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#87BDEF
oklch(77.9% 0.091 247.2)
-
Step 400
400
#48A7F6
oklch(70.7% 0.146 247)
-
Step 500
500
#008EE7
oklch(63% 0.167 247.2)
-
Step 600
600
#0078C4
oklch(55.7% 0.147 247.1)
-
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)
#87BDEF 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) | #A9BEF1 | 0.041 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9CB3EE | 0.034 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5EC9CE | 0.077 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.091 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #87BDEF
#87BDEF
oklch(77.9% 0.091 247.2)
- #DFAC77
#DFAC77
oklch(77.9% 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 #87BDEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.029
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.029
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.035
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.040
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.041
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.044
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.045
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.049
Use #87BDEF 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.