#96AEE4
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.2% 0.083 265.9), rgb(150, 174, 228).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.47:1).
About this color
#96AEE4 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.040 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.47:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.47:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #96AEE4 |
| RGB | rgb(150, 174, 228) |
| HSL | hsl(222, 59%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.2% 0.083 265.9) |
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 #96AEE4 | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #96AEE4 | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc 60.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #96AEE4 text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #96AEE4 text on black | 9.47:1 | AAA | Lc -58.5 | 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
#F3F5FA
oklch(97% 0.007 268.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E5EAF4
oklch(93.6% 0.015 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D0D9ED
oklch(88.5% 0.029 266.4)
-
Step 300
300
#B1C1E3
oklch(81% 0.051 265.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#96AEE4
oklch(75.2% 0.083 265.9)
-
Step 500
500
#6B87CA
oklch(63% 0.107 266.1)
-
Step 600
600
#5370B7
oklch(55.6% 0.116 266)
-
Step 700
700
#445E9D
oklch(49.2% 0.106 265.7)
-
Step 800
800
#384D7F
oklch(42.8% 0.087 265.6)
-
Step 900
900
#304066
oklch(37.6% 0.069 265.9)
-
Step 950
950
#1C263C
oklch(27.1% 0.044 265)
#96AEE4 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) | #9CB2E6 | 0.014 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #95ABE3 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7FB9C0 | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #96AEE4
#96AEE4
oklch(75.2% 0.083 265.9)
- #C6AB71
#C6AB71
oklch(75.2% 0.082 85.5)
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 #96AEE4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.040
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.052
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.055
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.059
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.069
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.069
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.069
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.071
Use #96AEE4 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.