#9CA5EF
Closest named color: Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB). oklch(74.3% 0.107 278.1), rgb(156, 165, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.04:1).
About this color
#9CA5EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.107 and its hue 278°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.04:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.107) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Periwinkle Blue (#8F99FB) |
| Black text | 9.04:1 |
| White text | 2.32:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA5EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 165, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(233, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.3% 0.107 278.1) |
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 #9CA5EF | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc -50.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA5EF | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc 58.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA5EF text on white | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc 45.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA5EF text on black | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc -56.3 | 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
#E6E9F7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 276.3)
-
Step 200
200
#D3D7F2
oklch(88.4% 0.037 278.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B6BDEC
oklch(80.9% 0.067 278.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA5EF
oklch(74.3% 0.107 278.1)
-
Step 500
500
#777FDB
oklch(63.1% 0.137 277.9)
-
Step 600
600
#6166C8
oklch(55.5% 0.149 278.2)
-
Step 700
700
#5155AD
oklch(49.2% 0.138 278.1)
-
Step 800
800
#42468C
oklch(42.8% 0.114 278)
-
Step 900
900
#373B70
oklch(37.7% 0.09 277.9)
-
Step 950
950
#202342
oklch(27% 0.057 277.6)
#9CA5EF 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) | #8EADF2 | 0.025 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #89A7ED | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B3BF | 0.095 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.107 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA5EF
#9CA5EF
oklch(74.3% 0.107 278.1)
- #BEAD58
#BEAD58
oklch(74.4% 0.108 98.2)
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 #9CA5EF, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.04 of #9CA5EF.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.044
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.051
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.065
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.068
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.068
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.071
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.072
- Lilac #CEA2FD ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA5EF 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.