#9CA5DF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.6% 0.085 277.3), rgb(156, 165, 223).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.86:1).
About this color
#9CA5DF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.085 and its hue 277°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.059 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.86:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.085) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.86:1 |
| White text | 2.36:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA5DF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 165, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(232, 51%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.6% 0.085 277.3) |
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 #9CA5DF | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc -51.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA5DF | 8.86:1 | AAA | Lc 57.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA5DF text on white | 2.36:1 | Fails | Lc 46.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA5DF text on black | 8.86:1 | AAA | Lc -55.4 | 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)
#9CA5DF
oklch(73.6% 0.085 277.3)
-
Step 500
500
#7983CA
oklch(63.2% 0.107 276.8)
-
Step 600
600
#636BB7
oklch(55.6% 0.118 277.3)
-
Step 700
700
#52599E
oklch(49.1% 0.11 277.2)
-
Step 800
800
#434980
oklch(42.7% 0.091 277.1)
-
Step 900
900
#383D67
oklch(37.6% 0.072 277.2)
-
Step 950
950
#21243C
oklch(27% 0.045 277.5)
#9CA5DF 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) | #94ABE2 | 0.017 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90A6DE | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8BB0B9 | 0.076 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.085 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA5DF
#9CA5DF
oklch(73.6% 0.085 277.3)
- #B8AA6B
#B8AA6B
oklch(73.5% 0.084 97.2)
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 #9CA5DF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.059
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.061
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.061
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.068
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.069
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.073
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.074
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.075
Use #9CA5DF 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.