#9CA4BD
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(72.1% 0.037 271.4), rgb(156, 164, 189).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.45:1).
About this color
#9CA4BD is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.037 and its hue 271°. 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 8.45:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.037) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.45:1 |
| White text | 2.48:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA4BD |
| RGB | rgb(156, 164, 189) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.1% 0.037 271.4) |
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 #9CA4BD | 2.48:1 | Fails | Lc -53.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA4BD | 8.45:1 | AAA | Lc 55.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4BD text on white | 2.48:1 | Fails | Lc 48.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4BD text on black | 8.45:1 | AAA | Lc -53.2 | 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
#E8EAEE
oklch(93.7% 0.006 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D9E2
oklch(88.6% 0.013 271.3)
-
Step 300
300
#BBC0D0
oklch(80.9% 0.023 272)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA4BD
oklch(72.1% 0.037 271.4)
-
Step 500
500
#7F88A7
oklch(63.1% 0.048 272.3)
-
Step 600
600
#687292
oklch(55.6% 0.051 271.2)
-
Step 700
700
#575F7D
oklch(49.1% 0.049 272.9)
-
Step 800
800
#474E65
oklch(42.7% 0.039 271.5)
-
Step 900
900
#3B4153
oklch(37.7% 0.032 270.4)
-
Step 950
950
#232630
oklch(27% 0.019 272)
#9CA4BD 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) | #9DA6BE | 0.006 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9BA3BC | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #94A9AC | 0.035 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A4A4A4 | 0.037 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA4BD
#9CA4BD
oklch(72.1% 0.037 271.4)
- #ADA48B
#ADA48B
oklch(72% 0.036 90.6)
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 #9CA4BD, 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 0.034
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.036
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.036
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.040
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.041
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.048
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.051
Use #9CA4BD 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.