#9CB5EB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.4% 0.082 265.2), rgb(156, 181, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.22:1).
About this color
#9CB5EB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.082 and its hue 265°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.22:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.082) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.22:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB5EB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 181, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 66%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.4% 0.082 265.2) |
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 #9CB5EB | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB5EB | 10.22:1 | AAA | Lc 63.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB5EB text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 40.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB5EB text on black | 10.22:1 | AAA | Lc -62.3 | 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
#F2F5FD
oklch(97% 0.011 269.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAFA
oklch(93.6% 0.023 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CBD9F8
oklch(88.5% 0.045 266.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB5EB
oklch(77.4% 0.082 265.2)
-
Step 400
400
#789EF3
oklch(70.8% 0.132 264.9)
-
Step 500
500
#5783EE
oklch(63.1% 0.168 265.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3E69DD
oklch(55.6% 0.184 265.4)
-
Step 700
700
#3057C0
oklch(49.1% 0.171 265.2)
-
Step 800
800
#28489B
oklch(42.7% 0.141 265)
-
Step 900
900
#243D7B
oklch(37.6% 0.11 265)
-
Step 950
950
#162448
oklch(26.9% 0.07 265.9)
#9CB5EB 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) | #A3B9ED | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9CB2EA | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85C0C7 | 0.074 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.082 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB5EB
#9CB5EB
oklch(77.4% 0.082 265.2)
- #CEB278
#CEB278
oklch(77.5% 0.082 84.8)
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 #9CB5EB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.032
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.035
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.044
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.055
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.056
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.057
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.057
Use #9CB5EB 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.