#9CB3EF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.1% 0.09 268.1), rgb(156, 179, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.10:1).
About this color
#9CB3EF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.090 and its hue 268°. 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 10.10:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.090) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.10:1 |
| White text | 2.07:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB3EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 179, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(223, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.1% 0.09 268.1) |
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 #9CB3EF | 2.07:1 | Fails | Lc -45.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB3EF | 10.10:1 | AAA | Lc 63.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB3EF text on white | 2.07:1 | Fails | Lc 40.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB3EF text on black | 10.10:1 | AAA | Lc -61.7 | 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
#E2EAFC
oklch(93.6% 0.026 266.6)
-
Step 200
200
#CBD9FB
oklch(88.6% 0.049 267.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB3EF
oklch(77.1% 0.09 268.1)
-
Step 400
400
#7A9BFA
oklch(70.6% 0.144 268.1)
-
Step 500
500
#5A7FF7
oklch(63.1% 0.184 267.9)
-
Step 600
600
#4365E6
oklch(55.7% 0.199 268.1)
-
Step 700
700
#3552C8
oklch(49% 0.186 268.1)
-
Step 800
800
#2C44A2
oklch(42.7% 0.155 268.2)
-
Step 900
900
#273B80
oklch(37.7% 0.119 268.1)
-
Step 950
950
#17234B
oklch(27% 0.076 268.4)
#9CB3EF 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) | #9FB8F2 | 0.014 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #98B1EE | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #83BFC8 | 0.081 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B4B4B4 | 0.090 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB3EF
#9CB3EF
oklch(77.1% 0.09 268.1)
- #CDB270
#CDB270
oklch(77.2% 0.09 88)
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 #9CB3EF, closest first.
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 0.035
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.052
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.057
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.061
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.061
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.063
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.065
Use #9CB3EF 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.