#8CB6EC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.6% 0.09 255), rgb(140, 182, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.01:1).
About this color
#8CB6EC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.01:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.01:1 |
| White text | 2.09:1 |
Values
| HEX | #8CB6EC |
| RGB | rgb(140, 182, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 72%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.6% 0.09 255) |
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 #8CB6EC | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc -45.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #8CB6EC | 10.01:1 | AAA | Lc 63.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #8CB6EC text on white | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc 41.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #8CB6EC text on black | 10.01:1 | AAA | Lc -61.3 | 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
#F0F6FE
oklch(97.1% 0.012 255.5)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEBFC
oklch(93.6% 0.026 257)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DBFA
oklch(88.4% 0.05 254.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#8CB6EC
oklch(76.6% 0.09 255)
-
Step 400
400
#5EA3F8
oklch(70.8% 0.144 254.6)
-
Step 500
500
#2888F5
oklch(63% 0.185 255)
-
Step 600
600
#0071DB
oklch(55.7% 0.183 255)
-
Step 700
700
#005EB9
oklch(49% 0.162 255.1)
-
Step 800
800
#004D99
oklch(42.7% 0.14 255)
-
Step 900
900
#04407F
oklch(37.6% 0.12 255.1)
-
Step 950
950
#07264A
oklch(26.9% 0.076 254.9)
#8CB6EC 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) | #A2B8EE | 0.028 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97AFEB | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #6AC2C8 | 0.079 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #8CB6EC
#8CB6EC
oklch(76.6% 0.09 255)
- #D5AB71
#D5AB71
oklch(76.6% 0.09 74.7)
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 #8CB6EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.025
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.044
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.047
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.047
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.049
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.052
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.062
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.063
Use #8CB6EC 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.