#9CA1EF
Closest named color: Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB). oklch(73.5% 0.113 280.4), rgb(156, 161, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.75:1).
About this color
#9CA1EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.113 and its hue 280°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.75:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.113) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB) |
| Black text | 8.75:1 |
| White text | 2.39:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA1EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 161, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(236, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.5% 0.113 280.4) |
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 #9CA1EF | 2.39:1 | Fails | Lc -52.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA1EF | 8.75:1 | AAA | Lc 56.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA1EF text on white | 2.39:1 | Fails | Lc 47.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA1EF text on black | 8.75:1 | AAA | Lc -54.8 | 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
#F4F5FC
oklch(97.1% 0.009 279.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E7E9F8
oklch(93.7% 0.02 279.9)
-
Step 200
200
#D4D7F3
oklch(88.6% 0.039 280.7)
-
Step 300
300
#B7BCEE
oklch(80.8% 0.071 280.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA1EF
oklch(73.5% 0.113 280.4)
-
Step 500
500
#7A7DDE
oklch(63.1% 0.144 280.1)
-
Step 600
600
#6564CB
oklch(55.6% 0.155 280.5)
-
Step 700
700
#5452B0
oklch(49.1% 0.146 280.5)
-
Step 800
800
#44448F
oklch(42.7% 0.121 280)
-
Step 900
900
#393A72
oklch(37.7% 0.094 280.1)
-
Step 950
950
#212243
oklch(26.9% 0.061 280.2)
#9CA1EF 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) | #89AAF2 | 0.031 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #84A4ED | 0.031 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B0BD | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.113 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA1EF
#9CA1EF
oklch(73.5% 0.113 280.4)
- #B9AB51
#B9AB51
oklch(73.5% 0.112 100.6)
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 #9CA1EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.036
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.058
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.060
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.060
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.069
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.072
- Lavender Blue #8B88F8 ΔE 0.074
- Lilac #CEA2FD ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA1EF 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.