#9CB4E3
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.8% 0.073 263.6), rgb(156, 180, 227).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.05:1).
About this color
#9CB4E3 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.073 and its hue 264°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.05:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.073) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.05:1 |
| White text | 2.08:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB4E3 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 180, 227) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 56%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.8% 0.073 263.6) |
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 #9CB4E3 | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc -45.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB4E3 | 10.05:1 | AAA | Lc 63.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB4E3 text on white | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc 40.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB4E3 text on black | 10.05:1 | AAA | Lc -61.4 | 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
#CCDAF5
oklch(88.6% 0.04 263.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB4E3
oklch(76.8% 0.073 263.6)
-
Step 400
400
#7B9FE9
oklch(70.6% 0.116 263.9)
-
Step 500
500
#5A86E3
oklch(63.2% 0.148 263.6)
-
Step 600
600
#406DD1
oklch(55.6% 0.162 263.7)
-
Step 700
700
#325BB5
oklch(49.2% 0.15 263.5)
-
Step 800
800
#2A4A92
oklch(42.6% 0.125 263.9)
-
Step 900
900
#263F75
oklch(37.8% 0.097 263.7)
-
Step 950
950
#162544
oklch(26.9% 0.061 263.4)
#9CB4E3 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) | #A4B7E5 | 0.014 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EB0E2 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #88BEC4 | 0.065 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.073 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB4E3
#9CB4E3
oklch(76.8% 0.073 263.6)
- #CAB07E
#CAB07E
oklch(76.8% 0.073 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 #9CB4E3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.036
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.041
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.042
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.044
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.050
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.055
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.058
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.059
Use #9CB4E3 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.