#9CB4DD
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.6% 0.065 261.1), rgb(156, 180, 221).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.98:1).
About this color
#9CB4DD is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.065 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.98:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.065) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.98:1 |
| White text | 2.10:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB4DD |
| RGB | rgb(156, 180, 221) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 49%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.6% 0.065 261.1) |
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 #9CB4DD | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc -45.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB4DD | 9.98:1 | AAA | Lc 62.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB4DD text on white | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc 41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB4DD text on black | 9.98:1 | AAA | Lc -61.1 | 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EAF7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 263)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDAF2
oklch(88.5% 0.036 261.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB4DD
oklch(76.6% 0.065 261.1)
-
Step 400
400
#7CA1E1
oklch(70.7% 0.103 261)
-
Step 500
500
#5A88D9
oklch(63.1% 0.133 261)
-
Step 600
600
#4070C6
oklch(55.5% 0.144 261.1)
-
Step 700
700
#325EAC
oklch(49.2% 0.134 260.9)
-
Step 800
800
#2A4D8B
oklch(42.8% 0.111 260.9)
-
Step 900
900
#26406F
oklch(37.6% 0.087 261.3)
-
Step 950
950
#172641
oklch(27% 0.055 261.4)
#9CB4DD 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) | #A6B6DF | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0B0DC | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8ABCC2 | 0.056 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.065 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB4DD
#9CB4DD
oklch(76.6% 0.065 261.1)
- #C8AF84
#C8AF84
oklch(76.5% 0.065 81)
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 #9CB4DD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.029
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.038
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.049
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.051
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.051
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.053
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.060
Use #9CB4DD 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.