#9CA3EF
Closest named color: Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB). oklch(73.9% 0.11 279.3), rgb(156, 163, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.89:1).
About this color
#9CA3EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.110 and its hue 279°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB), ΔE 0.040 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.89:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.110) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB) |
| Black text | 8.89:1 |
| White text | 2.35:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA3EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 163, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(235, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.9% 0.11 279.3) |
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 #9CA3EF | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc -51.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA3EF | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc 57.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3EF text on white | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc 46.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA3EF text on black | 8.89:1 | AAA | Lc -55.6 | 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
#E7E9F7
oklch(93.7% 0.019 279.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D3D7F3
oklch(88.5% 0.039 279.1)
-
Step 300
300
#B7BDED
oklch(81% 0.068 279.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA3EF
oklch(73.9% 0.11 279.3)
-
Step 500
500
#797EDC
oklch(63.1% 0.14 279.3)
-
Step 600
600
#6365CA
oklch(55.6% 0.153 279.3)
-
Step 700
700
#5253AF
oklch(49% 0.143 279.3)
-
Step 800
800
#43458D
oklch(42.7% 0.117 279)
-
Step 900
900
#383A71
oklch(37.6% 0.093 279.4)
-
Step 950
950
#212342
oklch(27.1% 0.057 279.1)
#9CA3EF 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) | #8BACF2 | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #87A6ED | 0.028 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B1BE | 0.097 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.110 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA3EF
#9CA3EF
oklch(73.9% 0.11 279.3)
- #BBAC55
#BBAC55
oklch(73.9% 0.11 99.7)
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 #9CA3EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.040
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.055
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.063
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.063
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.070
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.072
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.073
- Lilac #CEA2FD ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA3EF 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.