#9CA0AB
Closest named color: Cool Grey (#95A3A6). oklch(70.6% 0.017 269.9), rgb(156, 160, 171).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.02:1).
About this color
#9CA0AB is a medium-light close to neutral grey. In OKLCH its lightness is 71%, its chroma 0.017. It has too little chroma to lean warm or cool. The nearest named color is Cool Grey (#95A3A6), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.02:1.
| Hue family | Neutrals |
| Lightness | medium-light (71%) |
| Chroma | close to neutral grey (0.017) |
| Temperature | neutral |
| Nearest name | Cool Grey (#95A3A6) |
| Black text | 8.02:1 |
| White text | 2.61:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA0AB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 160, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(224, 8%, 64%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(70.6% 0.017 269.9) |
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 #9CA0AB | 2.61:1 | Fails | Lc -56.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA0AB | 8.02:1 | AAA | Lc 53.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA0AB text on white | 2.61:1 | Fails | Lc 51.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA0AB text on black | 8.02:1 | AAA | Lc -50.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F5F5F6
oklch(97% 0.001 286.4)
-
Step 100
100
#E9EAEC
oklch(93.7% 0.003 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D7D9DD
oklch(88.5% 0.006 264.5)
-
Step 300
300
#BEC0C7
oklch(80.8% 0.01 273.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA0AB
oklch(70.6% 0.017 269.9)
-
Step 500
500
#848997
oklch(63.1% 0.022 270.1)
-
Step 600
600
#6E7381
oklch(55.6% 0.022 270)
-
Step 700
700
#5C606D
oklch(49% 0.021 272)
-
Step 800
800
#4B4F59
oklch(42.8% 0.017 268.3)
-
Step 900
900
#3F4149
oklch(37.6% 0.014 274.6)
-
Step 950
950
#25262B
oklch(27% 0.009 276.8)
#9CA0AB 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) | #9DA1AC | 0.003 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9C9FAB | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #99A2A3 | 0.015 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A0A0A0 | 0.017 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA0AB
#9CA0AB
oklch(70.6% 0.017 269.9)
- #A4A095
#A4A095
oklch(70.6% 0.016 90.3)
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 #9CA0AB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.016
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.019
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.026
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.030
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.031
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.032
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.033
- Cement #A5A391 ΔE 0.042
Use #9CA0AB 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.