#9BBCED
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.8% 0.079 258.1), rgb(155, 188, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.80:1).
About this color
#9BBCED is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.079 and its hue 258°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.80:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.079) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.80:1 |
| White text | 1.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BBCED |
| RGB | rgb(155, 188, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 69%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.8% 0.079 258.1) |
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 #9BBCED | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc -41.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BBCED | 10.80:1 | AAA | Lc 66.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BBCED text on white | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc 37.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BBCED text on black | 10.80:1 | AAA | Lc -65.2 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBFA
oklch(93.7% 0.023 258.4)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DBF7
oklch(88.6% 0.044 258)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BBCED
oklch(78.8% 0.079 258.1)
-
Step 400
400
#6EA2EE
oklch(70.8% 0.125 257.8)
-
Step 500
500
#4688E9
oklch(63.1% 0.161 258.1)
-
Step 600
600
#256FD7
oklch(55.5% 0.175 258.1)
-
Step 700
700
#185CBB
oklch(49% 0.164 258.3)
-
Step 800
800
#174C97
oklch(42.7% 0.135 258.2)
-
Step 900
900
#1A4078
oklch(37.7% 0.105 258.3)
-
Step 950
950
#102646
oklch(27% 0.066 257.9)
#9BBCED 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) | #ABBEEF | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A2B6EC | 0.017 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82C6CC | 0.069 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.079 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BBCED
#9BBCED
oklch(78.8% 0.079 258.1)
- #D6B480
#D6B480
oklch(78.8% 0.079 77.8)
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 #9BBCED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.026
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.035
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.036
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.036
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.042
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.042
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.043
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.044
Use #9BBCED 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.