#9BBDEB
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(79% 0.076 256.1), rgb(155, 189, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.87:1).
About this color
#9BBDEB is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.076 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.87:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.076) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.87:1 |
| White text | 1.93:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BBDEB |
| RGB | rgb(155, 189, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(215, 67%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79% 0.076 256.1) |
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 #9BBDEB | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc -41.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BBDEB | 10.87:1 | AAA | Lc 66.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BBDEB text on white | 1.93:1 | Fails | Lc 37.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BBDEB text on black | 10.87:1 | AAA | Lc -65.5 | 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
#F1F6FC
oklch(97.1% 0.01 252.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBF9
oklch(93.7% 0.022 256.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DBF5
oklch(88.5% 0.041 256.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BBDEB
oklch(79% 0.076 256.1)
-
Step 400
400
#6DA3EB
oklch(70.8% 0.121 256)
-
Step 500
500
#448AE5
oklch(63.2% 0.154 256.1)
-
Step 600
600
#2171D3
oklch(55.6% 0.169 256.2)
-
Step 700
700
#125EB6
oklch(49% 0.156 256.1)
-
Step 800
800
#144D94
oklch(42.6% 0.13 256.5)
-
Step 900
900
#184176
oklch(37.7% 0.101 256.3)
-
Step 950
950
#0F2745
oklch(27.1% 0.064 255.3)
#9BBDEB 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) | #ADBFED | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A4B7EA | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #82C7CC | 0.067 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.076 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BBDEB
#9BBDEB
oklch(79% 0.076 256.1)
- #D7B484
#D7B484
oklch(78.9% 0.075 75.1)
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 #9BBDEB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.029
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.032
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.033
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.039
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.039
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.040
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.040
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.041
Use #9BBDEB 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.