#9CA3CF
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(72.5% 0.064 277.6), rgb(156, 163, 207).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.55:1).
About this color
#9CA3CF is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.064 and its hue 278°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.047 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.55:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.064) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.55:1 |
| White text | 2.45:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA3CF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 163, 207) |
| HSL | hsl(232, 35%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.5% 0.064 277.6) |
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 #9CA3CF | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc -53.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA3CF | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc 55.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3CF text on white | 2.45:1 | Fails | Lc 48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3CF text on black | 8.55:1 | AAA | Lc -53.7 | 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
#E8E9F2
oklch(93.6% 0.012 281.1)
-
Step 200
200
#D5D8E8
oklch(88.5% 0.022 277.5)
-
Step 300
300
#BABFDB
oklch(81% 0.04 277.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA3CF
oklch(72.5% 0.064 277.6)
-
Step 500
500
#7D85BB
oklch(63.1% 0.082 277.3)
-
Step 600
600
#676EA7
oklch(55.6% 0.089 277.7)
-
Step 700
700
#555C8F
oklch(49.1% 0.082 277)
-
Step 800
800
#464B74
oklch(42.7% 0.068 277.8)
-
Step 900
900
#3B3F5E
oklch(37.8% 0.053 277.9)
-
Step 950
950
#222537
oklch(27% 0.034 276.6)
#9CA3CF 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) | #97A7D1 | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #94A4CE | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #90ABB2 | 0.057 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.064 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA3CF
#9CA3CF
oklch(72.5% 0.064 277.6)
- #B1A778
#B1A778
oklch(72.5% 0.065 97.6)
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 #9CA3CF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.047
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.054
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.055
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.056
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.063
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.063
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.064
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.065
Use #9CA3CF 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.