#9BC9EC
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(81.5% 0.069 241.5), rgb(155, 201, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.95:1).
About this color
#9BC9EC is a light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.069 and its hue 241°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sky Blue (#87CEEB), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.95:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.069) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 11.95:1 |
| White text | 1.75:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BC9EC |
| RGB | rgb(155, 201, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(206, 68%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.5% 0.069 241.5) |
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 #9BC9EC | 1.75:1 | Fails | Lc -36.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BC9EC | 11.95:1 | AAA | Lc 71.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BC9EC text on white | 1.75:1 | Fails | Lc 32.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BC9EC text on black | 11.95:1 | AAA | Lc -70.6 | 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
#F0F6FB
oklch(97% 0.009 242.8)
-
Step 100
100
#DFECF6
oklch(93.6% 0.019 240.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DDF1
oklch(88.5% 0.038 242.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BC9EC
oklch(81.5% 0.069 241.5)
-
Step 400
400
#5CA9DF
oklch(70.7% 0.11 241.2)
-
Step 500
500
#1992D7
oklch(63.2% 0.142 241.5)
-
Step 600
600
#007AB8
oklch(55.5% 0.131 241.7)
-
Step 700
700
#00679C
oklch(49.2% 0.116 241.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005480
oklch(42.6% 0.1 241.3)
-
Step 900
900
#00466C
oklch(37.7% 0.089 241.5)
-
Step 950
950
#042940
oklch(26.9% 0.059 241.5)
#9BC9EC 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) | #BAC8EE | 0.038 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B0C0EB | 0.033 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #80D2D4 | 0.057 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C3C3C3 | 0.069 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BC9EC
#9BC9EC
oklch(81.5% 0.069 241.5)
- #E4B995
#E4B995
oklch(81.5% 0.069 61.5)
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 #9BC9EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.024
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.027
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.029
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.030
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.030
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.032
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.032
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.035
Use #9BC9EC 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.