#9CB8EF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.2% 0.085 263.6), rgb(156, 184, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.51:1).
About this color
#9CB8EF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.085 and its hue 264°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.51:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.085) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.51:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB8EF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 184, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 72%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.085 263.6) |
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 #9CB8EF | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -43.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB8EF | 10.51:1 | AAA | Lc 65.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB8EF text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB8EF text on black | 10.51:1 | AAA | Lc -63.7 | 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
#F1F6FD
oklch(97.1% 0.011 256.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EAFB
oklch(93.5% 0.025 263.3)
-
Step 200
200
#C9DAF9
oklch(88.5% 0.047 262.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB8EF
oklch(78.2% 0.085 263.6)
-
Step 400
400
#749EF5
oklch(70.6% 0.136 263.7)
-
Step 500
500
#5183F1
oklch(63% 0.174 263.8)
-
Step 600
600
#366AE0
oklch(55.7% 0.189 263.5)
-
Step 700
700
#2957C2
oklch(49% 0.175 263.6)
-
Step 800
800
#23489D
oklch(42.7% 0.145 263.7)
-
Step 900
900
#213D7D
oklch(37.6% 0.114 264)
-
Step 950
950
#142449
oklch(26.9% 0.072 264.5)
#9CB8EF 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) | #A5BCF1 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9DB4EE | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #83C3CB | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.085 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB8EF
#9CB8EF
oklch(78.2% 0.085 263.6)
- #D2B478
#D2B478
oklch(78.2% 0.085 84)
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 #9CB8EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.027
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.029
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.044
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.046
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.050
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.050
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.052
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.054
Use #9CB8EF 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.