#9BCDE3
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(82.1% 0.061 226.8), rgb(155, 205, 227).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.23:1).
About this color
#9BCDE3 is a light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.061 and its hue 227°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sky Blue (#87CEEB), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 12.23:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.061) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 12.23:1 |
| White text | 1.71:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BCDE3 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 205, 227) |
| HSL | hsl(198, 56%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(82.1% 0.061 226.8) |
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 #9BCDE3 | 1.71:1 | Fails | Lc -34.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BCDE3 | 12.23:1 | AAA | Lc 73.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BCDE3 text on white | 1.71:1 | Fails | Lc 30.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BCDE3 text on black | 12.23:1 | AAA | Lc -71.9 | 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
#F0F7FA
oklch(97.2% 0.008 225.1)
-
Step 100
100
#DEEDF3
oklch(93.7% 0.018 223.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DEEB
oklch(88.5% 0.034 228.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BCDE3
oklch(82.1% 0.061 226.8)
-
Step 400
400
#57ADCF
oklch(70.8% 0.096 226.5)
-
Step 500
500
#0097C2
oklch(63.1% 0.122 226.9)
-
Step 600
600
#007FA4
oklch(55.6% 0.108 227.1)
-
Step 700
700
#006B8A
oklch(49.2% 0.095 226.5)
-
Step 800
800
#005772
oklch(42.6% 0.083 227.6)
-
Step 900
900
#00495F
oklch(37.8% 0.072 226.2)
-
Step 950
950
#012B3A
oklch(27% 0.052 227.6)
#9BCDE3 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) | #C1CAE4 | 0.047 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B7C2E3 | 0.042 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #83D4D4 | 0.042 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C6C6C6 | 0.061 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BCDE3
#9BCDE3
oklch(82.1% 0.061 226.8)
- #E6B9A3
#E6B9A3
oklch(82% 0.06 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 #9BCDE3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sky Blue #87CEEB ΔE 0.022
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.031
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.032
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.032
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.034
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.036
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.038
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.040
Use #9BCDE3 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.