#9CA3BE
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(71.9% 0.04 273.9), rgb(156, 163, 190).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.39:1).
About this color
#9CA3BE is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.040 and its hue 274°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.39:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.040) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.39:1 |
| White text | 2.50:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA3BE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 163, 190) |
| HSL | hsl(228, 21%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(71.9% 0.04 273.9) |
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 #9CA3BE | 2.50:1 | Fails | Lc -54.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA3BE | 8.39:1 | AAA | Lc 54.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3BE text on white | 2.50:1 | Fails | Lc 49.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3BE text on black | 8.39:1 | AAA | Lc -52.9 | 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
#F5F5F8
oklch(97.1% 0.004 286.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E8EAEF
oklch(93.7% 0.007 268.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D9E3
oklch(88.6% 0.014 272.7)
-
Step 300
300
#BBC0D1
oklch(80.9% 0.024 272.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA3BE
oklch(71.9% 0.04 273.9)
-
Step 500
500
#7F88A9
oklch(63.1% 0.051 273)
-
Step 600
600
#697194
oklch(55.5% 0.055 274.5)
-
Step 700
700
#575F7E
oklch(49.1% 0.051 273.2)
-
Step 800
800
#474E67
oklch(42.8% 0.043 272.4)
-
Step 900
900
#3C4154
oklch(37.9% 0.033 273.2)
-
Step 950
950
#232631
oklch(27% 0.021 273)
#9CA3BE 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) | #9CA5BF | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #99A3BD | 0.004 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #94A8AC | 0.036 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A4A4A4 | 0.040 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA3BE
#9CA3BE
oklch(71.9% 0.04 273.9)
- #ACA488
#ACA488
oklch(71.8% 0.04 93.9)
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 #9CA3BE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.024
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.035
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.037
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.038
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.040
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.043
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.050
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.051
Use #9CA3BE 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.