#9CAEE6
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.7% 0.083 270.5), rgb(156, 174, 230).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.61:1).
About this color
#9CAEE6 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 271°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.040 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.61:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.61:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CAEE6 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 174, 230) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 60%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.7% 0.083 270.5) |
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 #9CAEE6 | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CAEE6 | 9.61:1 | AAA | Lc 61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CAEE6 text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 43.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CAEE6 text on black | 9.61:1 | AAA | Lc -59.2 | 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
#F3F5FA
oklch(97% 0.007 268.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAF4
oklch(93.7% 0.014 268.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D9ED
oklch(88.6% 0.029 270.4)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C0E3
oklch(81% 0.051 270.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CAEE6
oklch(75.7% 0.083 270.5)
-
Step 500
500
#7185CA
oklch(63% 0.107 270.8)
-
Step 600
600
#5A6EB7
oklch(55.6% 0.116 270.7)
-
Step 700
700
#4A5C9E
oklch(49.2% 0.108 270.5)
-
Step 800
800
#3D4B80
oklch(42.7% 0.09 271)
-
Step 900
900
#343F67
oklch(37.8% 0.07 271.1)
-
Step 950
950
#1E253C
oklch(27% 0.044 270.3)
#9CAEE6 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) | #9CB3E8 | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96ADE5 | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #87B9C1 | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CAEE6
#9CAEE6
oklch(75.7% 0.083 270.5)
- #C4AF72
#C4AF72
oklch(75.8% 0.083 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 #9CAEE6, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.040
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.051
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.053
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.060
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.067
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.071
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.071
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.071
Use #9CAEE6 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.