#9BB9EE
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.3% 0.083 261.6), rgb(155, 185, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.56:1).
About this color
#9BB9EE is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 262°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.56:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.56:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BB9EE |
| RGB | rgb(155, 185, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 71%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.083 261.6) |
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 #9BB9EE | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BB9EE | 10.56:1 | AAA | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BB9EE text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BB9EE text on black | 10.56:1 | AAA | Lc -64.0 | 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)
#9BB9EE
oklch(78.3% 0.083 261.6)
-
Step 400
400
#72A0F3
oklch(70.8% 0.132 261.5)
-
Step 500
500
#4D85EE
oklch(63.1% 0.169 261.7)
-
Step 600
600
#306CDD
oklch(55.6% 0.184 261.6)
-
Step 700
700
#2359C0
oklch(49.1% 0.172 261.7)
-
Step 800
800
#1E4A9B
oklch(42.8% 0.141 261.3)
-
Step 900
900
#1E3E7B
oklch(37.6% 0.111 261.8)
-
Step 950
950
#122548
oklch(27% 0.07 261.5)
#9BB9EE 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) | #A7BCF0 | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EB4ED | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82C4CB | 0.074 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BB9EE
#9BB9EE
oklch(78.3% 0.083 261.6)
- #D3B37A
#D3B37A
oklch(78.2% 0.083 81.4)
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 #9BB9EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.027
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.030
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.041
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.043
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.047
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.048
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.049
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.051
Use #9BB9EE 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.