#9BCBE0
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(81.5% 0.058 226.6), rgb(155, 203, 224).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.01:1).
About this color
#9BCBE0 is a light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.058 and its hue 227°. 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 12.01:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.058) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 12.01:1 |
| White text | 1.74:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BCBE0 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 203, 224) |
| HSL | hsl(198, 53%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.5% 0.058 226.6) |
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 #9BCBE0 | 1.74:1 | Fails | Lc -35.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BCBE0 | 12.01:1 | AAA | Lc 72.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BCBE0 text on white | 1.74:1 | Fails | Lc 31.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BCBE0 text on black | 12.01:1 | AAA | Lc -70.9 | 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
#DFECF3
oklch(93.5% 0.017 230.9)
-
Step 200
200
#C4DEEA
oklch(88.5% 0.032 227.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BCBE0
oklch(81.5% 0.058 226.6)
-
Step 400
400
#5AACCD
oklch(70.6% 0.093 226.7)
-
Step 500
500
#0E97C1
oklch(63.1% 0.119 226.8)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA3
oklch(55.6% 0.107 226.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006B8A
oklch(49.2% 0.095 226.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005771
oklch(42.6% 0.082 226.6)
-
Step 900
900
#00495F
oklch(37.8% 0.072 226.2)
-
Step 950
950
#032B39
oklch(27% 0.049 226.8)
#9BCBE0 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) | #C0C9E1 | 0.045 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B5C0E0 | 0.041 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #84D1D1 | 0.040 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C4C4C4 | 0.058 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BCBE0
#9BCBE0
oklch(81.5% 0.058 226.6)
- #E3B8A3
#E3B8A3
oklch(81.5% 0.058 47.4)
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 #9BCBE0, 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 Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.027
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.028
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.029
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.034
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.039
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.039
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.042
Use #9BCBE0 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.