#9BABDD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.7% 0.075 270.7), rgb(155, 171, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.26:1).
About this color
#9BABDD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.075 and its hue 271°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.052 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.26:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.075) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.26:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BABDD |
| RGB | rgb(155, 171, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 49%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.7% 0.075 270.7) |
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 #9BABDD | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9BABDD | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc 59.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9BABDD text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BABDD text on black | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc -57.4 | 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
#F4F5FA
oklch(97.1% 0.007 277.2)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAF3
oklch(93.7% 0.013 266.7)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D9EB
oklch(88.5% 0.026 268.8)
-
Step 300
300
#B5C0E0
oklch(81% 0.047 270.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9BABDD
oklch(74.7% 0.075 270.7)
-
Step 500
500
#7486C4
oklch(63.1% 0.096 271.1)
-
Step 600
600
#5D6FB0
oklch(55.6% 0.103 271)
-
Step 700
700
#4C5D97
oklch(49.1% 0.095 270.2)
-
Step 800
800
#3F4C7B
oklch(42.8% 0.08 271)
-
Step 900
900
#353F63
oklch(37.6% 0.063 271.3)
-
Step 950
950
#1F253A
oklch(26.9% 0.04 271.3)
#9BABDD 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) | #9CAFDF | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96AADC | 0.007 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #89B5BC | 0.068 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.075 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BABDD
#9BABDD
oklch(74.7% 0.075 270.7)
- #BFAC76
#BFAC76
oklch(74.8% 0.075 90.9)
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 #9BABDD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.052
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.052
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.061
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.062
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.063
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.065
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.070
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.071
Use #9BABDD 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.