#9BAEE8
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.8% 0.086 270.2), rgb(155, 174, 232).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.61:1).
About this color
#9BAEE8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.086 and its hue 270°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.61:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.086) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.61:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BAEE8 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 174, 232) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 63%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.086 270.2) |
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 #9BAEE8 | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9BAEE8 | 9.61:1 | AAA | Lc 61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BAEE8 text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BAEE8 text on black | 9.61:1 | AAA | Lc -59.2 | 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
#E6EAF5
oklch(93.7% 0.015 270)
-
Step 200
200
#D1D9EE
oklch(88.6% 0.03 269.1)
-
Step 300
300
#B3C0E4
oklch(81% 0.053 269.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9BAEE8
oklch(75.8% 0.086 270.2)
-
Step 500
500
#7085CC
oklch(63% 0.11 270.5)
-
Step 600
600
#596EB9
oklch(55.6% 0.119 270.4)
-
Step 700
700
#495BA0
oklch(49% 0.113 270.8)
-
Step 800
800
#3C4B81
oklch(42.7% 0.092 270.4)
-
Step 900
900
#333F68
oklch(37.7% 0.072 270.3)
-
Step 950
950
#1E253D
oklch(27% 0.046 270.7)
#9BAEE8 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) | #9CB3EB | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #95ACE7 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B9C2 | 0.077 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.087 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BAEE8
#9BAEE8
oklch(75.8% 0.086 270.2)
- #C5AE6F
#C5AE6F
oklch(75.6% 0.086 90.1)
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 #9BAEE8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.038
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.050
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.055
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.062
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.069
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.071
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.071
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.073
Use #9BAEE8 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.