#9CB4FF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.1% 0.111 270.1), rgb(156, 180, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.38:1).
About this color
#9CB4FF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.111 and its hue 270°. 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 10.38:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.111) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.38:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB4FF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 180, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 100%, 81%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.1% 0.111 270.1) |
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 #9CB4FF | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB4FF | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc 64.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB4FF text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 39.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB4FF text on black | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc -63.1 | 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
#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)
#9CB4FF
oklch(78.1% 0.111 270.1)
-
Step 400
400
#7C99FF
oklch(70.6% 0.153 270.2)
-
Step 500
500
#5D7BFF
oklch(63% 0.198 270.2)
-
Step 600
600
#4359FF
oklch(55.7% 0.244 270.2)
-
Step 700
700
#3646DF
oklch(49% 0.229 270.2)
-
Step 800
800
#2C3BB4
oklch(42.6% 0.19 270.3)
-
Step 900
900
#26358E
oklch(37.6% 0.148 270.3)
-
Step 950
950
#162053
oklch(26.9% 0.093 270.5)
#9CB4FF 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) | #9BBBFF | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #92B2FD | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7DC3CF | 0.098 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.111 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB4FF
#9CB4FF
oklch(78.1% 0.111 270.1)
- #D3B45F
#D3B45F
oklch(78% 0.111 89.7)
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 #9CB4FF, 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 0.031
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.063
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.065
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.068
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.072
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.072
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.073
Use #9CB4FF 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.