#9CABED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.4% 0.097 274), rgb(156, 171, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.46:1).
About this color
#9CABED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.097 and its hue 274°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.039 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.46:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.097) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.46:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CABED |
| RGB | rgb(156, 171, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(229, 69%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.097 274) |
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 #9CABED | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CABED | 9.46:1 | AAA | Lc 60.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CABED text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CABED text on black | 9.46:1 | AAA | Lc -58.5 | 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
#E6E9F6
oklch(93.6% 0.018 275.6)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D8F0
oklch(88.5% 0.034 274.5)
-
Step 300
300
#B4BEE8
oklch(80.8% 0.06 274.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CABED
oklch(75.4% 0.097 274)
-
Step 500
500
#7382D4
oklch(63.1% 0.124 274.4)
-
Step 600
600
#5C6BC1
oklch(55.7% 0.134 273.8)
-
Step 700
700
#4C58A7
oklch(49.1% 0.126 274.3)
-
Step 800
800
#3E4987
oklch(42.8% 0.103 273.7)
-
Step 900
900
#353D6C
oklch(37.7% 0.081 274.6)
-
Step 950
950
#1F243F
oklch(27% 0.051 274.5)
#9CABED 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) | #96B1F0 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #90ABEB | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85B8C2 | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.097 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CABED
#9CABED
oklch(75.4% 0.097 274)
- #C3AE65
#C3AE65
oklch(75.3% 0.096 93.8)
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 #9CABED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.039
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.054
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.060
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.067
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.074
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.074
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.075
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.077
Use #9CABED 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.