#9BABE3
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.9% 0.083 272), rgb(155, 171, 227).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.32:1).
About this color
#9BABE3 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 272°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.046 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.32:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.32:1 |
| White text | 2.25:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BABE3 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 171, 227) |
| HSL | hsl(227, 56%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.9% 0.083 272) |
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 #9BABE3 | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc -49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9BABE3 | 9.32:1 | AAA | Lc 59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9BABE3 text on white | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc 44.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BABE3 text on black | 9.32:1 | AAA | Lc -57.8 | 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
#E6E9F4
oklch(93.5% 0.015 273.8)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D8ED
oklch(88.4% 0.03 273.1)
-
Step 300
300
#B4BFE3
oklch(80.8% 0.052 271.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9BABE3
oklch(74.9% 0.083 272)
-
Step 500
500
#7385CA
oklch(63.1% 0.106 271.9)
-
Step 600
600
#5C6EB7
oklch(55.7% 0.115 271.7)
-
Step 700
700
#4C5B9D
oklch(49.1% 0.107 272.3)
-
Step 800
800
#3E4B7F
oklch(42.7% 0.088 271.6)
-
Step 900
900
#353F66
oklch(37.8% 0.068 271.9)
-
Step 950
950
#1F253C
oklch(27% 0.044 272.1)
#9BABE3 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) | #9AB0E5 | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #94AAE2 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #87B6BE | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BABE3
#9BABE3
oklch(74.9% 0.083 272)
- #C1AD70
#C1AD70
oklch(75.1% 0.083 92)
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 #9BABE3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.046
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.057
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.059
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.069
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.070
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.073
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.074
Use #9BABE3 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.