#96BAEF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.2% 0.086 257.9), rgb(150, 186, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.56:1).
About this color
#96BAEF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.086 and its hue 258°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.56:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.086) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.56:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #96BAEF |
| RGB | rgb(150, 186, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 74%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.086 257.9) |
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 #96BAEF | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #96BAEF | 10.56:1 | AAA | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #96BAEF text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #96BAEF text on black | 10.56:1 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E0EBFB
oklch(93.7% 0.025 257.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF9
oklch(88.5% 0.047 257.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#96BAEF
oklch(78.2% 0.086 257.9)
-
Step 400
400
#68A1F5
oklch(70.6% 0.138 258)
-
Step 500
500
#3D87F1
oklch(63.1% 0.175 257.9)
-
Step 600
600
#176EDF
oklch(55.6% 0.189 257.8)
-
Step 700
700
#065BC2
oklch(49.1% 0.177 257.9)
-
Step 800
800
#0C4B9D
oklch(42.7% 0.147 257.9)
-
Step 900
900
#14407D
oklch(37.8% 0.114 257.7)
-
Step 950
950
#0D2649
oklch(27.1% 0.072 257.4)
#96BAEF 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) | #A7BDF1 | 0.023 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9DB4EE | 0.017 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #79C5CC | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.086 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #96BAEF
#96BAEF
oklch(78.2% 0.086 257.9)
- #D6B278
#D6B278
oklch(78.2% 0.086 78.9)
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 #96BAEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.027
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.029
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.042
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.042
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.042
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.043
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.051
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.052
Use #96BAEF 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.