#9CA0DD
Closest named color: Pale Purple (#B790D4). oklch(72.5% 0.088 281), rgb(156, 160, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.48:1).
About this color
#9CA0DD is a medium-light, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.088 and its hue 281°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Purple (#B790D4), ΔE 0.052 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.48:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.088) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pale Purple (#B790D4) |
| Black text | 8.48:1 |
| White text | 2.47:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA0DD |
| RGB | rgb(156, 160, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(236, 49%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.5% 0.088 281) |
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 #9CA0DD | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc -53.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA0DD | 8.48:1 | AAA | Lc 55.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA0DD text on white | 2.47:1 | Fails | Lc 48.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA0DD text on black | 8.48:1 | AAA | Lc -53.4 | 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
#F4F5FA
oklch(97.1% 0.007 277.2)
-
Step 100
100
#E8E9F5
oklch(93.7% 0.016 282.3)
-
Step 200
200
#D5D7EE
oklch(88.5% 0.032 281.8)
-
Step 300
300
#BABDE4
oklch(80.9% 0.055 281.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA0DD
oklch(72.5% 0.088 281)
-
Step 500
500
#7E80CC
oklch(63% 0.113 281.5)
-
Step 600
600
#6869B9
oklch(55.7% 0.122 281.1)
-
Step 700
700
#56579F
oklch(49.1% 0.113 280.8)
-
Step 800
800
#474781
oklch(42.7% 0.095 281.6)
-
Step 900
900
#3B3C68
oklch(37.7% 0.074 281.2)
-
Step 950
950
#22233D
oklch(26.9% 0.048 281)
#9CA0DD 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) | #8EA7E0 | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8BA3DB | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8CABB5 | 0.078 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.089 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA0DD
#9CA0DD
oklch(72.5% 0.088 281)
- #B2A865
#B2A865
oklch(72.5% 0.088 100.9)
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 #9CA0DD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.052
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.055
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.063
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.069
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.072
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.073
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.074
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA0DD 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.