#9CA4E1
Closest named color: Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB). oklch(73.5% 0.089 278.2), rgb(156, 164, 225).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.81:1).
About this color
#9CA4E1 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.089 and its hue 278°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB), ΔE 0.057 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.81:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.089) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB) |
| Black text | 8.81:1 |
| White text | 2.38:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA4E1 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 164, 225) |
| HSL | hsl(233, 53%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.5% 0.089 278.2) |
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 #9CA4E1 | 2.38:1 | Fails | Lc -51.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA4E1 | 8.81:1 | AAA | Lc 57.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4E1 text on white | 2.38:1 | Fails | Lc 46.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4E1 text on black | 8.81:1 | AAA | Lc -55.1 | 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
#F4F5FB
oklch(97.1% 0.008 278.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E7E9F5
oklch(93.6% 0.016 278.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D4D8EE
oklch(88.6% 0.03 277.6)
-
Step 300
300
#B8BEE5
oklch(81% 0.055 278.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA4E1
oklch(73.5% 0.089 278.2)
-
Step 500
500
#7A82CD
oklch(63.2% 0.113 278)
-
Step 600
600
#646ABA
oklch(55.6% 0.123 278.4)
-
Step 700
700
#5358A0
oklch(49.1% 0.114 278.3)
-
Step 800
800
#444882
oklch(42.7% 0.095 278.6)
-
Step 900
900
#393D68
oklch(37.7% 0.073 278.2)
-
Step 950
950
#21243D
oklch(27% 0.047 277.6)
#9CA4E1 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) | #92ABE4 | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8EA5DF | 0.019 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8AAFB9 | 0.079 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.089 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA4E1
#9CA4E1
oklch(73.5% 0.089 278.2)
- #B8AA67
#B8AA67
oklch(73.5% 0.089 97.8)
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 #9CA4E1, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.057
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.059
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.059
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.070
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.072
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.073
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.075
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.078
Use #9CA4E1 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.