#9CA9DE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(74.4% 0.078 273.7), rgb(156, 169, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.14:1).
About this color
#9CA9DE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.078 and its hue 274°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.054 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.14:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.078) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.14:1 |
| White text | 2.29:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CA9DE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 169, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(228, 50%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.4% 0.078 273.7) |
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 #9CA9DE | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc -50.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CA9DE | 9.14:1 | AAA | Lc 58.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA9DE text on white | 2.29:1 | Fails | Lc 45.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CA9DE text on black | 9.14:1 | AAA | Lc -56.8 | 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
#D3D8EC
oklch(88.4% 0.028 274.6)
-
Step 300
300
#B6BFE1
oklch(80.9% 0.049 273.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CA9DE
oklch(74.4% 0.078 273.7)
-
Step 500
500
#7685C6
oklch(63.1% 0.1 273.3)
-
Step 600
600
#5F6DB3
oklch(55.5% 0.11 273.7)
-
Step 700
700
#4F5B9A
oklch(49.1% 0.102 273.9)
-
Step 800
800
#414B7D
oklch(42.8% 0.084 273.8)
-
Step 900
900
#373F64
oklch(37.8% 0.064 273.7)
-
Step 950
950
#20253B
oklch(27.1% 0.042 273.5)
#9CA9DE 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) | #99AEE0 | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #94A9DD | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8BB3BB | 0.070 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ABABAB | 0.078 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CA9DE
#9CA9DE
oklch(74.4% 0.078 273.7)
- #BCAC72
#BCAC72
oklch(74.4% 0.079 94.5)
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 #9CA9DE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.054
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.058
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.064
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.066
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.068
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.070
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.070
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.070
Use #9CA9DE 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.