#96ACED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.2% 0.097 269.6), rgb(150, 172, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.42:1).
About this color
#96ACED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.097 and its hue 270°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.035 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.42:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.097) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.42:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #96ACED |
| RGB | rgb(150, 172, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 71%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.2% 0.097 269.6) |
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 #96ACED | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #96ACED | 9.42:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #96ACED text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #96ACED text on black | 9.42:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F3F5FB
oklch(97% 0.008 271.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E5EAF6
oklch(93.7% 0.017 267.8)
-
Step 200
200
#D0D9F0
oklch(88.6% 0.033 268.7)
-
Step 300
300
#B1C0E9
oklch(81% 0.06 269.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#96ACED
oklch(75.2% 0.097 269.6)
-
Step 500
500
#6C84D5
oklch(63.1% 0.125 270)
-
Step 600
600
#546DC2
oklch(55.7% 0.135 269.3)
-
Step 700
700
#455AA7
oklch(49% 0.125 269.8)
-
Step 800
800
#394A88
oklch(42.7% 0.105 270)
-
Step 900
900
#313E6D
oklch(37.7% 0.082 270.4)
-
Step 950
950
#1C2540
oklch(27.1% 0.052 268.8)
#96ACED 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) | #96B2F0 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FAAEB | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7CB9C3 | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #96ACED
#96ACED
oklch(75.2% 0.097 269.6)
- #C7AC63
#C7AC63
oklch(75.2% 0.098 89.7)
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 #96ACED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.035
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.055
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.060
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.066
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.072
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.074
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.077
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.080
Use #96ACED 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.