#9CA2BA
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(71.5% 0.036 274.4), rgb(156, 162, 186).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.29:1).
About this color
#9CA2BA is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.036 and its hue 274°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.29:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.036) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.29:1 |
| White text | 2.53:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA2BA |
| RGB | rgb(156, 162, 186) |
| HSL | hsl(228, 18%, 67%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.5% 0.036 274.4) |
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 #9CA2BA | 2.53:1 | Fails | Lc -54.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA2BA | 8.29:1 | AAA | Lc 54.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA2BA text on white | 2.53:1 | Fails | Lc 49.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA2BA text on black | 8.29:1 | AAA | Lc -52.3 | 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
#F5F5F7
oklch(97.1% 0.003 286.4)
-
Step 100
100
#E8EAEE
oklch(93.7% 0.006 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D9E1
oklch(88.5% 0.011 269.5)
-
Step 300
300
#BCC0CF
oklch(80.9% 0.021 274)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA2BA
oklch(71.5% 0.036 274.4)
-
Step 500
500
#8188A6
oklch(63.2% 0.046 274.7)
-
Step 600
600
#6A7291
oklch(55.7% 0.049 273.4)
-
Step 700
700
#585F7B
oklch(49% 0.046 273.7)
-
Step 800
800
#484E64
oklch(42.7% 0.037 272.8)
-
Step 900
900
#3D4152
oklch(37.9% 0.03 274.6)
-
Step 950
950
#232630
oklch(27% 0.019 272)
#9CA2BA 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) | #9CA4BB | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9AA2B9 | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #95A6AA | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A3A3A3 | 0.036 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA2BA
#9CA2BA
oklch(71.5% 0.036 274.4)
- #AAA38B
#AAA38B
oklch(71.5% 0.035 93.6)
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 #9CA2BA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.021
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.031
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.033
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.034
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.036
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.040
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.046
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.049
Use #9CA2BA 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.