#96BCEE
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.6% 0.083 255.5), rgb(150, 188, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.72:1).
About this color
#96BCEE is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.72:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.72:1 |
| White text | 1.95:1 |
Values
| HEX | #96BCEE |
| RGB | rgb(150, 188, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 72%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.6% 0.083 255.5) |
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 #96BCEE | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc -42.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #96BCEE | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc 66.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #96BCEE text on white | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc 37.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #96BCEE text on black | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc -64.8 | 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
#E0EBFA
oklch(93.6% 0.024 256.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C6DBF8
oklch(88.5% 0.046 256.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#96BCEE
oklch(78.6% 0.083 255.5)
-
Step 400
400
#66A3F1
oklch(70.7% 0.131 255.2)
-
Step 500
500
#3889ED
oklch(63.1% 0.17 255.6)
-
Step 600
600
#0570DB
oklch(55.5% 0.184 255.5)
-
Step 700
700
#005EBB
oklch(49.1% 0.165 255.5)
-
Step 800
800
#024D9A
oklch(42.8% 0.141 255.4)
-
Step 900
900
#10417A
oklch(37.7% 0.11 255.3)
-
Step 950
950
#0C2648
oklch(26.9% 0.071 256.4)
#96BCEE 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) | #AABEF0 | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0B5ED | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #79C7CD | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #96BCEE
#96BCEE
oklch(78.6% 0.083 255.5)
- #D8B27D
#D8B27D
oklch(78.5% 0.082 75.3)
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 #96BCEE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.028
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.037
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.038
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.038
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.039
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.047
Use #96BCEE 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.