#9BCDE8
Closest named color: Sky Blue (#87CEEB). oklch(82.3% 0.064 232.1), rgb(155, 205, 232).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (12.29:1).
About this color
#9BCDE8 is a light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 82%, its chroma 0.064 and its hue 232°. 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 12.29:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (82%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.064) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Sky Blue (#87CEEB) |
| Black text | 12.29:1 |
| White text | 1.70:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9BCDE8 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 205, 232) |
| HSL | hsl(201, 63%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(82.3% 0.064 232.1) |
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 #9BCDE8 | 1.70:1 | Fails | Lc -34.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9BCDE8 | 12.29:1 | AAA | Lc 73.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9BCDE8 text on white | 1.70:1 | Fails | Lc 30.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9BCDE8 text on black | 12.29:1 | AAA | Lc -72.2 | 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
#DEECF4
oklch(93.5% 0.018 232.5)
-
Step 200
200
#C3DEED
oklch(88.5% 0.035 232.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9BCDE8
oklch(82.3% 0.064 232.1)
-
Step 400
400
#56ACD6
oklch(70.8% 0.103 232)
-
Step 500
500
#0096CA
oklch(63.2% 0.129 232.1)
-
Step 600
600
#007EAA
oklch(55.7% 0.113 231.8)
-
Step 700
700
#006A90
oklch(49.2% 0.1 232)
-
Step 800
800
#005676
oklch(42.6% 0.087 232.3)
-
Step 900
900
#004863
oklch(37.7% 0.077 231.8)
-
Step 950
950
#012B3C
oklch(27.1% 0.054 230.9)
#9BCDE8 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) | #C0CBE9 | 0.045 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B5C2E8 | 0.041 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #81D4D5 | 0.047 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C6C6C6 | 0.065 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9BCDE8
#9BCDE8
oklch(82.3% 0.064 232.1)
- #E8BA9F
#E8BA9F
oklch(82.3% 0.065 51.9)
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 #9BCDE8, 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 0.031
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.031
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.033
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.033
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.033
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.034
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.039
Use #9BCDE8 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.