#9BB9ED
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.2% 0.082 261.3), rgb(155, 185, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.55:1).
About this color
#9BB9ED is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.082 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.082) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.55:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB9ED |
| RGB | rgb(155, 185, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 69%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.082 261.3) |
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 #9BB9ED | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BB9ED | 10.55:1 | AAA | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB9ED text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB9ED text on black | 10.55:1 | 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
#C9DAF8
oklch(88.5% 0.045 261.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BB9ED
oklch(78.2% 0.082 261.3)
-
Step 400
400
#72A0F2
oklch(70.8% 0.131 261.3)
-
Step 500
500
#4D85ED
oklch(63% 0.167 261.6)
-
Step 600
600
#306CDB
oklch(55.5% 0.181 261.4)
-
Step 700
700
#235ABE
oklch(49.1% 0.168 261.2)
-
Step 800
800
#1E4A9A
oklch(42.7% 0.14 261.2)
-
Step 900
900
#1E3F7A
oklch(37.7% 0.108 261)
-
Step 950
950
#122548
oklch(27% 0.07 261.5)
#9BB9ED 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) | #A7BCEF | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FB4EC | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82C4CB | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.082 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB9ED
#9BB9ED
oklch(78.2% 0.082 261.3)
- #D3B37B
#D3B37B
oklch(78.2% 0.082 81)
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 #9BB9ED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.028
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.040
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.042
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.047
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.048
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.048
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.050
Use #9BB9ED 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.