#9CB6EB
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.6% 0.081 264.3), rgb(156, 182, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.30:1).
About this color
#9CB6EB is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.081 and its hue 264°. 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 10.30:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.081) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.30:1 |
| White text | 2.03:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB6EB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 182, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 66%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.6% 0.081 264.3) |
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 #9CB6EB | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc -44.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB6EB | 10.30:1 | AAA | Lc 64.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB6EB text on white | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc 39.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB6EB text on black | 10.30:1 | AAA | Lc -62.7 | 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
#F2F6FD
oklch(97.2% 0.01 261.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAFA
oklch(93.6% 0.023 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CADAF8
oklch(88.6% 0.045 263.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB6EB
oklch(77.6% 0.081 264.3)
-
Step 400
400
#779EF2
oklch(70.6% 0.131 264.4)
-
Step 500
500
#5584ED
oklch(63.2% 0.166 264.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3B6ADC
oklch(55.6% 0.182 264.4)
-
Step 700
700
#2E58BF
oklch(49.2% 0.169 264.3)
-
Step 800
800
#26489A
oklch(42.6% 0.14 264.3)
-
Step 900
900
#233E7B
oklch(37.8% 0.109 264)
-
Step 950
950
#152548
oklch(27.1% 0.069 263.9)
#9CB6EB 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) | #A4BAED | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9DB2EA | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85C1C8 | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.081 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB6EB
#9CB6EB
oklch(77.6% 0.081 264.3)
- #CFB279
#CFB279
oklch(77.6% 0.082 83.7)
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 #9CB6EB, 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 0.033
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.042
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.046
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.054
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.055
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.055
Use #9CB6EB 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.