#9CB4E1
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.8% 0.07 262.8), rgb(156, 180, 225).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.02:1).
About this color
#9CB4E1 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.070 and its hue 263°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.02:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.070) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.02:1 |
| White text | 2.09:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB4E1 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 180, 225) |
| HSL | hsl(219, 53%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.8% 0.07 262.8) |
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 #9CB4E1 | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc -45.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB4E1 | 10.02:1 | AAA | Lc 63.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB4E1 text on white | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc 40.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB4E1 text on black | 10.02:1 | AAA | Lc -61.3 | 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
#E3EAF8
oklch(93.6% 0.02 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDAF4
oklch(88.6% 0.039 262.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB4E1
oklch(76.8% 0.07 262.8)
-
Step 400
400
#7BA0E7
oklch(70.7% 0.112 262.8)
-
Step 500
500
#5A86DF
oklch(63% 0.143 263.1)
-
Step 600
600
#406ECD
oklch(55.5% 0.156 262.9)
-
Step 700
700
#325CB2
oklch(49.2% 0.145 262.7)
-
Step 800
800
#2A4B90
oklch(42.7% 0.121 263.1)
-
Step 900
900
#263F73
oklch(37.6% 0.094 263.2)
-
Step 950
950
#172543
oklch(26.9% 0.059 264)
#9CB4E1 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) | #A5B7E3 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EB0E0 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #88BDC3 | 0.062 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.070 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB4E1
#9CB4E1
oklch(76.8% 0.07 262.8)
- #C9B080
#C9B080
oklch(76.7% 0.07 83.4)
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 #9CB4E1, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.033
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.041
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.044
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.046
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.049
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.054
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.056
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.059
Use #9CB4E1 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.