#9BB9CB
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.9% 0.042 234.4), rgb(155, 185, 203).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.19:1).
About this color
#9BB9CB is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.042 and its hue 234°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.014 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.19:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.042) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.19:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB9CB |
| RGB | rgb(155, 185, 203) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 32%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.9% 0.042 234.4) |
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 #9BB9CB | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BB9CB | 10.19:1 | AAA | Lc 63.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB9CB text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 40.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB9CB text on black | 10.19:1 | AAA | Lc -62.1 | 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
#F2F6F9
oklch(97.1% 0.006 239.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF1
oklch(93.5% 0.013 236.6)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDCE6
oklch(88.5% 0.023 233.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BB9CB
oklch(76.9% 0.042 234.4)
-
Step 400
400
#77A8C4
oklch(70.7% 0.066 234)
-
Step 500
500
#5192B5
oklch(63.1% 0.085 233.9)
-
Step 600
600
#337CA1
oklch(55.7% 0.092 234)
-
Step 700
700
#24688A
oklch(49.1% 0.086 234.4)
-
Step 800
800
#205570
oklch(42.7% 0.071 234.2)
-
Step 900
900
#20465B
oklch(37.6% 0.056 235.2)
-
Step 950
950
#142935
oklch(26.9% 0.035 235.2)
#9BB9CB 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) | #B1B8CC | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB2CB | 0.026 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8DBEBF | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.042 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB9CB
#9BB9CB
oklch(76.9% 0.042 234.4)
- #CAAE9C
#CAAE9C
oklch(77% 0.041 54.7)
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 #9BB9CB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.014
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.024
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.028
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.037
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.047
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.052
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.054
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.057
Use #9BB9CB 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.