#9CA1CB
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(72% 0.061 279.4), rgb(156, 161, 203).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.37:1).
About this color
#9CA1CB is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.061 and its hue 279°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.045 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.37:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.061) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.37:1 |
| White text | 2.50:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA1CB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 161, 203) |
| HSL | hsl(234, 31%, 70%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72% 0.061 279.4) |
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 #9CA1CB | 2.50:1 | Fails | Lc -54.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA1CB | 8.37:1 | AAA | Lc 54.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA1CB text on white | 2.50:1 | Fails | Lc 49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA1CB text on black | 8.37:1 | AAA | Lc -52.7 | 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
#F4F5F9
oklch(97.1% 0.005 275)
-
Step 100
100
#E8E9F1
oklch(93.6% 0.011 280.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D8E7
oklch(88.5% 0.021 279.9)
-
Step 300
300
#BBBFDA
oklch(81% 0.038 278.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA1CB
oklch(72% 0.061 279.4)
-
Step 500
500
#7F85B9
oklch(63.2% 0.078 278.8)
-
Step 600
600
#696EA5
oklch(55.7% 0.085 279.3)
-
Step 700
700
#575B8D
oklch(49% 0.08 279.5)
-
Step 800
800
#474B72
oklch(42.7% 0.065 278.8)
-
Step 900
900
#3C3F5C
oklch(37.8% 0.05 279.2)
-
Step 950
950
#232536
oklch(27% 0.032 278.9)
#9CA1CB 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) | #96A5CD | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #93A2CA | 0.012 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #91A8AF | 0.054 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A3A3A3 | 0.061 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA1CB
#9CA1CB
oklch(72% 0.061 279.4)
- #ADA679
#ADA679
oklch(72% 0.062 100.3)
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 #9CA1CB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.045
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.049
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.050
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.052
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.059
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.060
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.061
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.063
Use #9CA1CB 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.