#9CB0DC
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(75.7% 0.067 265.7), rgb(156, 176, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.65:1).
About this color
#9CB0DC is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.067 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.038 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.65:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.067) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.65:1 |
| White text | 2.17:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB0DC |
| RGB | rgb(156, 176, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 48%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.7% 0.067 265.7) |
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 #9CB0DC | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc -47.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB0DC | 9.65:1 | AAA | Lc 61.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB0DC text on white | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc 42.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB0DC text on black | 9.65:1 | AAA | Lc -59.4 | 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
#F4F5F9
oklch(97.1% 0.005 275)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EAF2
oklch(93.6% 0.012 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D2D9E9
oklch(88.5% 0.023 266.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C1DD
oklch(81% 0.042 265.7)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CB0DC
oklch(75.7% 0.067 265.7)
-
Step 500
500
#7188BE
oklch(63% 0.086 266.3)
-
Step 600
600
#5972AA
oklch(55.7% 0.092 265.2)
-
Step 700
700
#495F92
oklch(49.1% 0.087 265.6)
-
Step 800
800
#3C4E77
oklch(42.8% 0.072 265.4)
-
Step 900
900
#334160
oklch(37.7% 0.057 265.2)
-
Step 950
950
#1E2638
oklch(27% 0.036 265.6)
#9CB0DC 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) | #A2B3DE | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9CADDB | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8AB9BF | 0.061 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.067 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB0DC
#9CB0DC
oklch(75.7% 0.067 265.7)
- #C4AE7F
#C4AE7F
oklch(75.8% 0.068 85.7)
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 #9CB0DC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.038
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.050
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.055
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.056
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.057
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.059
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.062
Use #9CB0DC 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.