#9CB0EE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(76.5% 0.092 270.3), rgb(156, 176, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.85:1).
About this color
#9CB0EE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.092 and its hue 270°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.85:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.092) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.85:1 |
| White text | 2.13:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB0EE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 176, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 71%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.5% 0.092 270.3) |
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 #9CB0EE | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc -46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB0EE | 9.85:1 | AAA | Lc 62.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB0EE text on white | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc 41.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB0EE text on black | 9.85:1 | AAA | Lc -60.5 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F2F5FE
oklch(97% 0.012 271.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E3E9FC
oklch(93.5% 0.027 271.9)
-
Step 200
200
#CCD8FC
oklch(88.5% 0.051 270.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB0EE
oklch(76.5% 0.092 270.3)
-
Step 400
400
#7E9AFC
oklch(70.8% 0.147 270.3)
-
Step 500
500
#607DFA
oklch(63.2% 0.188 270.4)
-
Step 600
600
#4962E9
oklch(55.7% 0.205 270.3)
-
Step 700
700
#3B50CA
oklch(49.1% 0.19 270.3)
-
Step 800
800
#3042A4
oklch(42.7% 0.159 270.3)
-
Step 900
900
#2A3982
oklch(37.6% 0.124 270.6)
-
Step 950
950
#18224C
oklch(26.9% 0.079 270.3)
#9CB0EE 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) | #9CB5F1 | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #95AEED | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #84BCC6 | 0.082 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.092 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB0EE
#9CB0EE
oklch(76.5% 0.092 270.3)
- #C9B06C
#C9B06C
oklch(76.4% 0.092 89.9)
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 #9CB0EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.042
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.057
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.063
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.067
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.069
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.069
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.071
Use #9CB0EE 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.