#9CB3FE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.8% 0.111 270.6), rgb(156, 179, 254).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.29:1).
About this color
#9CB3FE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 271°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.29:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.29:1 |
| White text | 2.04:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB3FE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 179, 254) |
| HSL | hsl(226, 98%, 80%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.8% 0.111 270.6) |
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 #9CB3FE | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc -44.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB3FE | 10.29:1 | AAA | Lc 64.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB3FE text on white | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc 39.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB3FE text on black | 10.29:1 | AAA | Lc -62.7 | 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
#F2F5FF
oklch(97.1% 0.014 272.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E2E9FF
oklch(93.5% 0.031 271.7)
-
Step 200
200
#CBD8FF
oklch(88.5% 0.056 270.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB3FE
oklch(77.8% 0.111 270.6)
-
Step 400
400
#7D99FF
oklch(70.7% 0.152 270.5)
-
Step 500
500
#5F7BFF
oklch(63.1% 0.198 270.7)
-
Step 600
600
#4558FF
oklch(55.6% 0.245 270.7)
-
Step 700
700
#3846DF
oklch(49.1% 0.228 270.7)
-
Step 800
800
#2D3BB4
oklch(42.7% 0.189 270.6)
-
Step 900
900
#27358E
oklch(37.7% 0.147 270.7)
-
Step 950
950
#162053
oklch(26.9% 0.093 270.5)
#9CB3FE 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) | #9ABAFF | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #91B2FC | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7DC2CE | 0.099 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB3FE
#9CB3FE
oklch(77.8% 0.111 270.6)
- #D2B45F
#D2B45F
oklch(77.9% 0.11 90.3)
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 #9CB3FE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.023
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.034
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.065
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.067
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.068
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.071
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.072
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.074
Use #9CB3FE 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.