#9CA8EE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.9% 0.102 276.2), rgb(156, 168, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.24:1).
About this color
#9CA8EE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.102 and its hue 276°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.045 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.24:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.102) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.24:1 |
| White text | 2.27:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA8EE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 168, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(231, 71%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.9% 0.102 276.2) |
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 #9CA8EE | 2.27:1 | Fails | Lc -49.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA8EE | 9.24:1 | AAA | Lc 59.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA8EE text on white | 2.27:1 | Fails | Lc 44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CA8EE text on black | 9.24:1 | AAA | Lc -57.4 | 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
#F4F5FB
oklch(97.1% 0.008 278.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E6E9F7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 276.3)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D8F1
oklch(88.5% 0.035 274.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B5BEEA
oklch(80.9% 0.063 275.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA8EE
oklch(74.9% 0.102 276.2)
-
Step 500
500
#7581D7
oklch(63.2% 0.13 276)
-
Step 600
600
#5F68C5
oklch(55.6% 0.143 276.5)
-
Step 700
700
#4E56AA
oklch(49% 0.133 276.2)
-
Step 800
800
#404789
oklch(42.6% 0.108 276.2)
-
Step 900
900
#363C6E
oklch(37.7% 0.085 276.3)
-
Step 950
950
#202440
oklch(27.1% 0.052 276.2)
#9CA8EE 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) | #92AFF1 | 0.020 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CA9EC | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B5C1 | 0.090 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.102 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA8EE
#9CA8EE
oklch(74.9% 0.102 276.2)
- #C0AE5F
#C0AE5F
oklch(74.9% 0.102 96.8)
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 #9CA8EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.045
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.052
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.061
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.070
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.074
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.074
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.075
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA8EE 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.