#9BCBDC
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(81.4% 0.056 221.6), rgb(155, 203, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.96:1).
About this color
#9BCBDC is a light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.056 and its hue 222°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sky Blue (#87CEEB), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.96:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.056) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 11.96:1 |
| White text | 1.75:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BCBDC |
| RGB | rgb(155, 203, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(196, 48%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.4% 0.056 221.6) |
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 #9BCBDC | 1.75:1 | Fails | Lc -36.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BCBDC | 11.96:1 | AAA | Lc 71.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BCBDC text on white | 1.75:1 | Fails | Lc 32.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BCBDC text on black | 11.96:1 | AAA | Lc -70.7 | 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
#F0F7F9
oklch(97.1% 0.008 216.6)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEDF2
oklch(93.7% 0.016 221.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DEE8
oklch(88.5% 0.031 222.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BCBDC
oklch(81.4% 0.056 221.6)
-
Step 400
400
#5BADC8
oklch(70.6% 0.089 221.8)
-
Step 500
500
#1098BA
oklch(63.1% 0.114 221.7)
-
Step 600
600
#00809E
oklch(55.6% 0.103 221.9)
-
Step 700
700
#006C85
oklch(49.2% 0.09 221.2)
-
Step 800
800
#00586D
oklch(42.6% 0.078 221.3)
-
Step 900
900
#00495C
oklch(37.6% 0.07 222.6)
-
Step 950
950
#032B37
oklch(26.9% 0.048 223)
#9BCBDC 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) | #C1C8DD | 0.047 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B7C0DC | 0.043 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #86D1D0 | 0.036 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C3C3C3 | 0.056 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BCBDC
#9BCBDC
oklch(81.4% 0.056 221.6)
- #E3B7A7
#E3B7A7
oklch(81.4% 0.056 40.9)
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 #9BCBDC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.027
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.027
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.029
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.031
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.036
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.039
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.043
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.044
Use #9BCBDC 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.