#9BB5AB
Closest named color: Dark Gray (#A9A9A9). oklch(75% 0.032 170.2), rgb(155, 181, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.59:1).
About this color
#9BB5AB is a medium-light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.032 and its hue 170°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Gray (#A9A9A9), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.59:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.032) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Gray (#A9A9A9) |
| Black text | 9.59:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB5AB |
| RGB | rgb(155, 181, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(157, 15%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75% 0.032 170.2) |
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 #9BB5AB | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9BB5AB | 9.59:1 | AAA | Lc 60.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB5AB text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB5AB text on black | 9.59:1 | AAA | Lc -59.1 | 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
#F4F6F5
oklch(97.1% 0.002 165.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EBE9
oklch(93.6% 0.006 170.4)
-
Step 200
200
#D2DCD8
oklch(88.6% 0.012 170.2)
-
Step 300
300
#B5C5BF
oklch(80.9% 0.019 171.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9BB5AB
oklch(75% 0.032 170.2)
-
Step 500
500
#719286
oklch(63.1% 0.041 170.7)
-
Step 600
600
#597C6F
oklch(55.6% 0.045 169.7)
-
Step 700
700
#49695D
oklch(49.2% 0.042 169.3)
-
Step 800
800
#3C554C
oklch(42.6% 0.034 170.4)
-
Step 900
900
#34463F
oklch(37.6% 0.026 169.1)
-
Step 950
950
#1E2925
oklch(26.9% 0.017 170.8)
#9BB5AB 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) | #B3B1AB | 0.033 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AEAEAC | 0.031 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #96B5B2 | 0.011 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.032 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB5AB
#9BB5AB
oklch(75% 0.032 170.2)
- #BFA6B1
#BFA6B1
oklch(75% 0.033 349.5)
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 #9BB5AB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.036
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.036
- Muted Teal #90B494 ΔE 0.037
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.037
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.045
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.049
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.050
- Cement #A5A391 ΔE 0.050
Use #9BB5AB 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.