#9CA8EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.9% 0.103 276.2), rgb(156, 168, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.26:1).
About this color
#9CA8EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.103 and its hue 276°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.26:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.103) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.26:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA8EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 168, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(231, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.9% 0.103 276.2) |
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 #9CA8EF | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA8EF | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc 59.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA8EF text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CA8EF text on black | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc -57.5 | 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
#B5BEEB
oklch(81% 0.064 276)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA8EF
oklch(74.9% 0.103 276.2)
-
Step 500
500
#7580D8
oklch(63% 0.132 276.5)
-
Step 600
600
#5F68C6
oklch(55.6% 0.144 276.5)
-
Step 700
700
#4E56AB
oklch(49.1% 0.134 276.2)
-
Step 800
800
#40478A
oklch(42.7% 0.11 276.2)
-
Step 900
900
#363C6F
oklch(37.7% 0.087 276.3)
-
Step 950
950
#1F2341
oklch(26.9% 0.056 276.2)
#9CA8EF 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) | #92B0F2 | 0.022 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8CA9ED | 0.021 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B6C1 | 0.093 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.103 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA8EF
#9CA8EF
oklch(74.9% 0.103 276.2)
- #C1AE5E
#C1AE5E
oklch(75% 0.103 96.3)
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 #9CA8EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.044
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.051
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.061
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.070
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.073
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.073
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.076
- Perrywinkle #8F8CE7 ΔE 0.076
Use #9CA8EF 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.