#9CB0FF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.3% 0.116 272.6), rgb(156, 176, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.06:1).
About this color
#9CB0FF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.116 and its hue 273°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.06:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.116) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.06:1 |
| White text | 2.08:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB0FF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 176, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(228, 100%, 81%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.116 272.6) |
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 #9CB0FF | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc -45.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB0FF | 10.06:1 | AAA | Lc 63.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB0FF text on white | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc 40.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB0FF text on black | 10.06:1 | AAA | Lc -61.6 | 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
#F2F5FF
oklch(97.1% 0.014 272.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E3E9FF
oklch(93.6% 0.03 273.6)
-
Step 200
200
#CCD8FF
oklch(88.6% 0.055 271.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB0FF
oklch(77.3% 0.116 272.6)
-
Step 400
400
#8198FF
oklch(70.7% 0.153 272.5)
-
Step 500
500
#6479FF
oklch(63% 0.199 272.7)
-
Step 600
600
#4C56FF
oklch(55.6% 0.245 272.6)
-
Step 700
700
#3E40E4
oklch(49.1% 0.239 272.8)
-
Step 800
800
#3237B8
oklch(42.7% 0.198 272.6)
-
Step 900
900
#2A3291
oklch(37.6% 0.154 272.7)
-
Step 950
950
#181F55
oklch(27% 0.097 272.5)
#9CB0FF 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) | #95B8FF | 0.022 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8DB0FD | 0.019 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7DC0CC | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.116 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB0FF
#9CB0FF
oklch(77.3% 0.116 272.6)
- #CFB358
#CFB358
oklch(77.3% 0.115 92.4)
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 #9CB0FF, closest first.
No curated palette has a color within ΔE 0.04 of #9CB0FF.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.028
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.042
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.063
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.068
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.072
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.073
- Lilac #CEA2FD ΔE 0.074
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.074
Use #9CB0FF 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.