#9CB5CE
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.3% 0.045 248.4), rgb(156, 181, 206).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.91:1).
About this color
#9CB5CE is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.045 and its hue 248°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.91:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.045) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 9.91:1 |
| White text | 2.11:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB5CE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 181, 206) |
| HSL | hsl(210, 34%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.3% 0.045 248.4) |
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 #9CB5CE | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc -46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB5CE | 9.91:1 | AAA | Lc 62.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB5CE text on white | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc 41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB5CE text on black | 9.91:1 | AAA | Lc -60.7 | 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
#F2F6F9
oklch(97.1% 0.006 239.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF2
oklch(93.6% 0.013 244.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CDDBE9
oklch(88.5% 0.025 248.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB5CE
oklch(76.3% 0.045 248.4)
-
Step 400
400
#7DA5CC
oklch(70.7% 0.072 248.2)
-
Step 500
500
#5B8EBF
oklch(63.1% 0.092 248.5)
-
Step 600
600
#3F77AB
oklch(55.5% 0.101 248.5)
-
Step 700
700
#316493
oklch(49% 0.094 248.6)
-
Step 800
800
#295277
oklch(42.7% 0.077 247.9)
-
Step 900
900
#264460
oklch(37.7% 0.06 248.1)
-
Step 950
950
#172838
oklch(27% 0.038 247.9)
#9CB5CE 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) | #ACB5CF | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A6B0CE | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8EBBBD | 0.039 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.045 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB5CE
#9CB5CE
oklch(76.3% 0.045 248.4)
- #C6AD94
#C6AD94
oklch(76.3% 0.045 67.1)
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 #9CB5CE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.019
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.031
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.032
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.043
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.048
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.051
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.053
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.064
Use #9CB5CE 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.