#9CB8DC
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(77.4% 0.06 254.9), rgb(156, 184, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.30:1).
About this color
#9CB8DC is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.060 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.018 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.30:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.060) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.30:1 |
| White text | 2.03:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB8DC |
| RGB | rgb(156, 184, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 48%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.4% 0.06 254.9) |
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 #9CB8DC | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc -44.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB8DC | 10.30:1 | AAA | Lc 64.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB8DC text on white | 2.03:1 | Fails | Lc 39.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB8DC 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
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.018 253.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBEF
oklch(88.6% 0.033 254)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB8DC
oklch(77.4% 0.06 254.9)
-
Step 400
400
#77A3DC
oklch(70.6% 0.097 255.2)
-
Step 500
500
#538BD2
oklch(63% 0.123 255.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3674BF
oklch(55.5% 0.133 254.8)
-
Step 700
700
#2861A5
oklch(49.1% 0.124 254.8)
-
Step 800
800
#235086
oklch(42.8% 0.103 254.6)
-
Step 900
900
#22426B
oklch(37.6% 0.08 255.5)
-
Step 950
950
#14273F
oklch(27% 0.052 255)
#9CB8DC 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) | #ABB9DE | 0.020 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A4B3DB | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8AC0C4 | 0.052 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.060 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB8DC
#9CB8DC
oklch(77.4% 0.06 254.9)
- #CDB18B
#CDB18B
oklch(77.5% 0.061 75.1)
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 #9CB8DC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.018
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.026
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.037
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.043
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.046
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.049
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.054
Use #9CB8DC 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.