#9BBCEF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.9% 0.081 259), rgb(155, 188, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.83:1).
About this color
#9BBCEF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.081 and its hue 259°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.83:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.081) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.83:1 |
| White text | 1.93:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BBCEF |
| RGB | rgb(155, 188, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(216, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.9% 0.081 259) |
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 #9BBCEF | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc -41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BBCEF | 10.83:1 | AAA | Lc 66.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BBCEF text on white | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc 37.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BBCEF text on black | 10.83:1 | AAA | Lc -65.3 | 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
#C8DAF8
oklch(88.4% 0.046 260.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BBCEF
oklch(78.9% 0.081 259)
-
Step 400
400
#6EA1F1
oklch(70.7% 0.13 259.1)
-
Step 500
500
#4687EC
oklch(63.1% 0.166 259)
-
Step 600
600
#266EDB
oklch(55.6% 0.182 259.1)
-
Step 700
700
#185BBE
oklch(49.1% 0.169 259.1)
-
Step 800
800
#174B99
oklch(42.6% 0.139 259)
-
Step 900
900
#1A407A
oklch(37.8% 0.108 258.8)
-
Step 950
950
#102647
oklch(27% 0.068 258.4)
#9BBCEF 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) | #AABFF1 | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A1B7EE | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #81C7CD | 0.072 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.081 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BBCEF
#9BBCEF
oklch(78.9% 0.081 259)
- #D7B57E
#D7B57E
oklch(79% 0.082 79.2)
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 #9BBCEF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.024
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.033
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.039
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.039
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.042
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.042
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.045
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.046
Use #9BBCEF 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.