#9CB4BF
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(75.5% 0.031 227.2), rgb(156, 180, 191).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.69:1).
About this color
#9CB4BF is a medium-light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.031 and its hue 227°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.69:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.031) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 9.69:1 |
| White text | 2.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB4BF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 180, 191) |
| HSL | hsl(199, 21%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.5% 0.031 227.2) |
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 #9CB4BF | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc -47.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB4BF | 9.69:1 | AAA | Lc 61.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB4BF text on white | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB4BF text on black | 9.69:1 | AAA | Lc -59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F6F7
oklch(97.2% 0.003 228.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E6EBED
oklch(93.7% 0.006 223.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D2DBDF
oklch(88.6% 0.011 226)
-
Step 300
300
#B4C3CA
oklch(80.8% 0.019 227.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CB4BF
oklch(75.5% 0.031 227.2)
-
Step 500
500
#718F9C
oklch(63.2% 0.039 226.2)
-
Step 600
600
#597987
oklch(55.7% 0.043 226.7)
-
Step 700
700
#496672
oklch(49.2% 0.039 225.5)
-
Step 800
800
#3C535D
oklch(42.7% 0.033 226.6)
-
Step 900
900
#33454C
oklch(37.8% 0.026 223.7)
-
Step 950
950
#1E282D
oklch(27% 0.017 229.8)
#9CB4BF 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) | #AEB3C0 | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A9AEBF | 0.022 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #92B7B7 | 0.021 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.031 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB4BF
#9CB4BF
oklch(75.5% 0.031 227.2)
- #C1AA9F
#C1AA9F
oklch(75.5% 0.031 47.2)
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 #9CB4BF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.023
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.032
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.037
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.037
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.043
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.048
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.052
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.052
Use #9CB4BF 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.