#9CADE2
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.4% 0.079 270.6), rgb(156, 173, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.48:1).
About this color
#9CADE2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.079 and its hue 271°. 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 9.48:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.079) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.48:1 |
| White text | 2.21:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CADE2 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 173, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 55%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.079 270.6) |
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 #9CADE2 | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc -48.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CADE2 | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc 60.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CADE2 text on white | 2.21:1 | Fails | Lc 43.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CADE2 text on black | 9.48:1 | AAA | Lc -58.6 | 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
#E6EAF4
oklch(93.7% 0.014 268.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D9EC
oklch(88.6% 0.027 269.6)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C0E1
oklch(80.9% 0.049 269.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CADE2
oklch(75.4% 0.079 270.6)
-
Step 500
500
#7286C7
oklch(63.1% 0.101 270.3)
-
Step 600
600
#5B6FB3
oklch(55.6% 0.109 270.2)
-
Step 700
700
#4B5C9A
oklch(49% 0.102 270.7)
-
Step 800
800
#3E4C7D
oklch(42.8% 0.083 270.5)
-
Step 900
900
#343F65
oklch(37.6% 0.067 270.7)
-
Step 950
950
#1F253B
oklch(27% 0.042 271.7)
#9CADE2 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) | #9CB1E4 | 0.010 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97ACE1 | 0.007 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #89B7BF | 0.070 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.079 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CADE2
#9CADE2
oklch(75.4% 0.079 270.6)
- #C2AE74
#C2AE74
oklch(75.5% 0.08 91.2)
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 #9CADE2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.045
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.051
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.056
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.060
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.067
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.068
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.068
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.072
Use #9CADE2 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.