#9CA4E2
Closest named color: Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB). oklch(73.5% 0.09 278.3), rgb(156, 164, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.82:1).
About this color
#9CA4E2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 278°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB), ΔE 0.056 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.82:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB) |
| Black text | 8.82:1 |
| White text | 2.38:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA4E2 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 164, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(233, 55%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.5% 0.09 278.3) |
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 #9CA4E2 | 2.38:1 | Fails | Lc -51.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA4E2 | 8.82:1 | AAA | Lc 57.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4E2 text on white | 2.38:1 | Fails | Lc 46.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA4E2 text on black | 8.82:1 | AAA | Lc -55.2 | 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
#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)
#9CA4E2
oklch(73.5% 0.09 278.3)
-
Step 500
500
#7A81CE
oklch(63% 0.116 278.6)
-
Step 600
600
#646ABB
oklch(55.7% 0.125 278.3)
-
Step 700
700
#5358A1
oklch(49.2% 0.116 278.3)
-
Step 800
800
#444883
oklch(42.8% 0.097 278.5)
-
Step 900
900
#393D69
oklch(37.8% 0.075 278.2)
-
Step 950
950
#21243D
oklch(27% 0.047 277.6)
#9CA4E2 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) | #92ABE5 | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8DA6E0 | 0.020 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8AB0BA | 0.080 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA4E2
#9CA4E2
oklch(73.5% 0.09 278.3)
- #B8AA66
#B8AA66
oklch(73.5% 0.09 98)
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 #9CA4E2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.056
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.058
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.059
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.070
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.074
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.074
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.074
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.079
Use #9CA4E2 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.