#9CA6DC
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(73.7% 0.079 276.2), rgb(156, 166, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.90:1).
About this color
#9CA6DC is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.079 and its hue 276°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.060 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.90:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.079) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 8.90:1 |
| White text | 2.35:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA6DC |
| RGB | rgb(156, 166, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(231, 48%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.7% 0.079 276.2) |
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 #9CA6DC | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc -51.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA6DC | 8.90:1 | AAA | Lc 57.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA6DC text on white | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc 46.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA6DC text on black | 8.90:1 | AAA | Lc -55.6 | 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
#D4D8EC
oklch(88.5% 0.028 276.8)
-
Step 300
300
#B7BFE1
oklch(81% 0.049 274.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA6DC
oklch(73.7% 0.079 276.2)
-
Step 500
500
#7984C6
oklch(63.2% 0.1 275.9)
-
Step 600
600
#626CB3
oklch(55.5% 0.111 276.1)
-
Step 700
700
#525A9A
oklch(49.1% 0.102 276.5)
-
Step 800
800
#434A7D
oklch(42.7% 0.085 276.3)
-
Step 900
900
#383E64
oklch(37.7% 0.065 276)
-
Step 950
950
#21253B
oklch(27.2% 0.041 275.4)
#9CA6DC 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) | #96ABDE | 0.014 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92A6DB | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8BB0B9 | 0.070 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.079 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA6DC
#9CA6DC
oklch(73.7% 0.079 276.2)
- #B8AA70
#B8AA70
oklch(73.6% 0.078 96.2)
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 #9CA6DC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.060
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.063
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.064
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.065
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.067
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.071
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.071
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.073
Use #9CA6DC 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.