#9CA3DD
Closest named color: Pale Purple (#B790D4). oklch(73.1% 0.084 278.8), rgb(156, 163, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.69:1).
About this color
#9CA3DD is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.084 and its hue 279°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Purple (#B790D4), ΔE 0.058 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.69:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.084) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pale Purple (#B790D4) |
| Black text | 8.69:1 |
| White text | 2.41:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA3DD |
| RGB | rgb(156, 163, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(234, 49%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.1% 0.084 278.8) |
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 #9CA3DD | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc -52.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA3DD | 8.69:1 | AAA | Lc 56.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3DD text on white | 2.41:1 | Fails | Lc 47.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3DD text on black | 8.69:1 | AAA | Lc -54.5 | 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
#F4F5FA
oklch(97.1% 0.007 277.2)
-
Step 100
100
#E7E9F4
oklch(93.6% 0.015 277.8)
-
Step 200
200
#D4D8ED
oklch(88.6% 0.029 277.2)
-
Step 300
300
#B8BEE3
oklch(80.9% 0.053 277.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA3DD
oklch(73.1% 0.084 278.8)
-
Step 500
500
#7B82CA
oklch(63.1% 0.108 278.6)
-
Step 600
600
#656AB6
oklch(55.5% 0.117 279)
-
Step 700
700
#54589D
oklch(49% 0.109 279)
-
Step 800
800
#45497F
oklch(42.8% 0.089 278.7)
-
Step 900
900
#3A3D66
oklch(37.7% 0.07 279.3)
-
Step 950
950
#22243C
oklch(27.1% 0.045 279.3)
#9CA3DD 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) | #92A9E0 | 0.019 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EA4DC | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8BAEB7 | 0.076 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.084 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA3DD
#9CA3DD
oklch(73.1% 0.084 278.8)
- #B5A96A
#B5A96A
oklch(73% 0.084 98.8)
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 #9CA3DD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.058
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.060
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.064
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.068
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.070
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.073
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.073
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.073
Use #9CA3DD 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.