#9BB9CC
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(77% 0.043 235.9), rgb(155, 185, 204).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.20:1).
About this color
#9BB9CC is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.043 and its hue 236°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.013 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.20:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.043) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.20:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB9CC |
| RGB | rgb(155, 185, 204) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 32%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77% 0.043 235.9) |
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 #9BB9CC | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BB9CC | 10.20:1 | AAA | Lc 63.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB9CC text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 40.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB9CC text on black | 10.20:1 | AAA | Lc -62.2 | 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
#CBDCE7
oklch(88.5% 0.024 236)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BB9CC
oklch(77% 0.043 235.9)
-
Step 400
400
#77A8C6
oklch(70.8% 0.068 235.9)
-
Step 500
500
#5192B7
oklch(63.2% 0.087 235.4)
-
Step 600
600
#327BA3
oklch(55.5% 0.095 236.1)
-
Step 700
700
#24688C
oklch(49.2% 0.088 235.9)
-
Step 800
800
#205571
oklch(42.7% 0.072 235.2)
-
Step 900
900
#20465C
oklch(37.7% 0.057 236.4)
-
Step 950
950
#142936
oklch(27% 0.036 237.4)
#9BB9CC 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) | #B0B8CD | 0.027 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB2CC | 0.026 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8DBEBF | 0.032 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.043 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB9CC
#9BB9CC
oklch(77% 0.043 235.9)
- #CAAE9B
#CAAE9B
oklch(77% 0.042 56.2)
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 #9BB9CC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.013
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.024
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.029
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.037
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.046
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.053
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.055
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.057
Use #9BB9CC 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.