#9BCBE9
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(81.9% 0.066 236.1), rgb(155, 203, 233).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.11:1).
About this color
#9BCBE9 is a light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.066 and its hue 236°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sky Blue (#87CEEB), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.11:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.066) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 12.11:1 |
| White text | 1.73:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BCBE9 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 203, 233) |
| HSL | hsl(203, 64%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.9% 0.066 236.1) |
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 #9BCBE9 | 1.73:1 | Fails | Lc -35.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BCBE9 | 12.11:1 | AAA | Lc 72.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BCBE9 text on white | 1.73:1 | Fails | Lc 31.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BCBE9 text on black | 12.11:1 | AAA | Lc -71.3 | 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
#DEECF5
oklch(93.5% 0.019 235.7)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DEEE
oklch(88.6% 0.036 233.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BCBE9
oklch(81.9% 0.066 236.1)
-
Step 400
400
#59ABD9
oklch(70.8% 0.105 235.5)
-
Step 500
500
#0894CF
oklch(63.1% 0.134 236.1)
-
Step 600
600
#007CAF
oklch(55.5% 0.12 236.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006994
oklch(49.2% 0.105 235.5)
-
Step 800
800
#00567A
oklch(42.8% 0.091 235.4)
-
Step 900
900
#004767
oklch(37.7% 0.082 236.6)
-
Step 950
950
#032A3E
oklch(27% 0.056 236.7)
#9BCBE9 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) | #BDCAEB | 0.042 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B3C1E9 | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #81D3D5 | 0.050 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C5C5C5 | 0.066 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BCBE9
#9BCBE9
oklch(81.9% 0.066 236.1)
- #E6B99B
#E6B99B
oklch(81.8% 0.066 55.3)
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 #9BCBE9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.021
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.029
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.029
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.031
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.031
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.031
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.033
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.037
Use #9BCBE9 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.