#9CB5DF
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.9% 0.067 260.7), rgb(156, 181, 223).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.08:1).
About this color
#9CB5DF is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.067 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 10.08:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.067) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.08:1 |
| White text | 2.08:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB5DF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 181, 223) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 51%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.9% 0.067 260.7) |
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 #9CB5DF | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc -45.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB5DF | 10.08:1 | AAA | Lc 63.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB5DF text on white | 2.08:1 | Fails | Lc 40.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB5DF text on black | 10.08:1 | AAA | Lc -61.6 | 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
#E3EAF7
oklch(93.6% 0.019 263)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDAF2
oklch(88.5% 0.037 259.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB5DF
oklch(76.9% 0.067 260.7)
-
Step 400
400
#7AA1E3
oklch(70.7% 0.106 260.6)
-
Step 500
500
#5888DB
oklch(63.1% 0.136 260.7)
-
Step 600
600
#3E70C9
oklch(55.6% 0.148 261)
-
Step 700
700
#305DAD
oklch(49% 0.137 260.9)
-
Step 800
800
#284D8C
oklch(42.7% 0.113 260.3)
-
Step 900
900
#254070
oklch(37.6% 0.089 261.1)
-
Step 950
950
#162642
oklch(27% 0.057 260.9)
#9CB5DF 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) | #A7B7E1 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0B1DE | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #89BEC3 | 0.059 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B4B4B4 | 0.067 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB5DF
#9CB5DF
oklch(76.9% 0.067 260.7)
- #CAB084
#CAB084
oklch(76.9% 0.066 80.6)
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 #9CB5DF, 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 0.036
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.045
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.047
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.047
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.051
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.058
Use #9CB5DF 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.