#9BB9EC
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.2% 0.08 260.9), rgb(155, 185, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.54:1).
About this color
#9BB9EC is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.080 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.54:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.080) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.54:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB9EC |
| RGB | rgb(155, 185, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 68%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.08 260.9) |
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 #9BB9EC | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BB9EC | 10.54:1 | AAA | Lc 65.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB9EC text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB9EC text on black | 10.54:1 | AAA | Lc -63.9 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EAFA
oklch(93.5% 0.024 262.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C9DAF7
oklch(88.5% 0.044 261.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BB9EC
oklch(78.2% 0.08 260.9)
-
Step 400
400
#72A0F0
oklch(70.7% 0.128 260.9)
-
Step 500
500
#4D86EB
oklch(63.1% 0.164 260.9)
-
Step 600
600
#306DDA
oklch(55.6% 0.179 261)
-
Step 700
700
#235ABD
oklch(49% 0.167 261.1)
-
Step 800
800
#1E4A99
oklch(42.6% 0.138 261)
-
Step 900
900
#1E3F79
oklch(37.7% 0.106 260.8)
-
Step 950
950
#122547
oklch(26.9% 0.068 261.1)
#9BB9EC 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) | #A7BCEE | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FB4EB | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82C4CA | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.080 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB9EC
#9BB9EC
oklch(78.2% 0.08 260.9)
- #D3B37C
#D3B37C
oklch(78.2% 0.081 80.6)
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 #9BB9EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.029
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.033
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.038
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.040
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.047
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.048
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.049
Use #9BB9EC 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.