#9BC5EF
Closest named color: Light Sky Blue (#87CEFA). oklch(80.8% 0.075 248.8), rgb(155, 197, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.62:1).
About this color
#9BC5EF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.075 and its hue 249°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Sky Blue (#87CEFA), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.62:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.075) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Sky Blue (#87CEFA) |
| Black text | 11.62:1 |
| White text | 1.80:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BC5EF |
| RGB | rgb(155, 197, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(80.8% 0.075 248.8) |
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 #9BC5EF | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc -37.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BC5EF | 11.62:1 | AAA | Lc 70.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BC5EF text on white | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc 33.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BC5EF text on black | 11.62:1 | AAA | Lc -69.1 | 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
#F0F6FC
oklch(97% 0.01 247.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEBF8
oklch(93.5% 0.022 250.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C5DCF4
oklch(88.5% 0.041 249.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BC5EF
oklch(80.8% 0.075 248.8)
-
Step 400
400
#61A6E8
oklch(70.7% 0.12 248.9)
-
Step 500
500
#2C8EE1
oklch(63.2% 0.153 248.9)
-
Step 600
600
#0077C7
oklch(55.7% 0.152 248.5)
-
Step 700
700
#0063A9
oklch(49% 0.136 249.1)
-
Step 800
800
#00518B
oklch(42.6% 0.117 248.8)
-
Step 900
900
#054473
oklch(37.8% 0.099 248.2)
-
Step 950
950
#082844
oklch(27% 0.064 249)
#9BC5EF 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) | #B5C6F1 | 0.033 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AABDEE | 0.026 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #80CFD3 | 0.063 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C1C1C1 | 0.075 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BC5EF
#9BC5EF
oklch(80.8% 0.075 248.8)
- #E1B88C
#E1B88C
oklch(80.8% 0.075 68.4)
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 #9BC5EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.029
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.030
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.031
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.032
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.032
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.033
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.033
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.033
Use #9BC5EF 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.