#9CB3DE
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.4% 0.067 262.8), rgb(156, 179, 222).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.91:1).
About this color
#9CB3DE is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.067 and its hue 263°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.91:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.067) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.91:1 |
| White text | 2.11:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB3DE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 179, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(219, 50%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.4% 0.067 262.8) |
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 #9CB3DE | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc -46.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB3DE | 9.91:1 | AAA | Lc 62.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB3DE text on white | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc 41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB3DE text on black | 9.91:1 | AAA | Lc -60.8 | 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
#F2F6FC
oklch(97.2% 0.009 258.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EAF7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 263)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDAF3
oklch(88.6% 0.038 262.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB3DE
oklch(76.4% 0.067 262.8)
-
Step 400
400
#7DA0E4
oklch(70.7% 0.108 263)
-
Step 500
500
#5C87DC
oklch(63.1% 0.137 262.8)
-
Step 600
600
#426FCA
oklch(55.6% 0.15 262.7)
-
Step 700
700
#345CAE
oklch(49% 0.139 262.8)
-
Step 800
800
#2C4C8D
oklch(42.8% 0.114 262.8)
-
Step 900
900
#274071
oklch(37.8% 0.09 262.5)
-
Step 950
950
#172642
oklch(27.1% 0.056 262)
#9CB3DE 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) | #A5B6E0 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EAFDD | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8ABCC1 | 0.060 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.067 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB3DE
#9CB3DE
oklch(76.4% 0.067 262.8)
- #C7AF82
#C7AF82
oklch(76.4% 0.066 82.9)
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 #9CB3DE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.032
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.041
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.047
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.050
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.051
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.053
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.055
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.062
Use #9CB3DE 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.