#9BBAEF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.5% 0.083 261), rgb(155, 186, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.66:1).
About this color
#9BBAEF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.66:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.66:1 |
| White text | 1.96:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BBAEF |
| RGB | rgb(155, 186, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.5% 0.083 261) |
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 #9BBAEF | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc -42.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BBAEF | 10.66:1 | AAA | Lc 66.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BBAEF text on white | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc 37.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BBAEF text on black | 10.66:1 | AAA | Lc -64.5 | 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
#E1EAFB
oklch(93.5% 0.025 263.3)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DAF9
oklch(88.5% 0.047 261.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BBAEF
oklch(78.5% 0.083 261)
-
Step 400
400
#70A0F3
oklch(70.7% 0.133 260.8)
-
Step 500
500
#4A85EF
oklch(63% 0.171 261.1)
-
Step 600
600
#2D6CDD
oklch(55.5% 0.185 261)
-
Step 700
700
#205AC0
oklch(49.2% 0.171 260.8)
-
Step 800
800
#1C4A9B
oklch(42.7% 0.142 260.8)
-
Step 900
900
#1D3F7B
oklch(37.8% 0.11 260.8)
-
Step 950
950
#112548
oklch(26.9% 0.07 260.7)
#9BBAEF 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) | #A8BDF1 | 0.019 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FB5EE | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #81C5CC | 0.074 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BBAEF
#9BBAEF
oklch(78.5% 0.083 261)
- #D5B47B
#D5B47B
oklch(78.6% 0.083 80.7)
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 #9BBAEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.025
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.030
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.041
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.042
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.045
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.046
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.048
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.050
Use #9BBAEF 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.