#9CB8FF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.9% 0.106 267.4), rgb(156, 184, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.71:1).
About this color
#9CB8FF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.106 and its hue 267°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.71:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.106) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.71:1 |
| White text | 1.96:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB8FF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 184, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(223, 100%, 81%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.9% 0.106 267.4) |
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 #9CB8FF | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc -42.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB8FF | 10.71:1 | AAA | Lc 66.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB8FF text on white | 1.96:1 | Fails | Lc 37.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB8FF text on black | 10.71:1 | AAA | Lc -64.7 | 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
#F1F5FF
oklch(97% 0.014 268.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EAFF
oklch(93.7% 0.03 267.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C9D9FF
oklch(88.6% 0.055 267.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB8FF
oklch(78.9% 0.106 267.4)
-
Step 400
400
#779BFF
oklch(70.7% 0.152 267.5)
-
Step 500
500
#557EFF
oklch(63.2% 0.197 267.3)
-
Step 600
600
#395EFA
oklch(55.6% 0.235 267.4)
-
Step 700
700
#2C4CDA
oklch(49.1% 0.219 267.3)
-
Step 800
800
#253FB0
oklch(42.6% 0.182 267.6)
-
Step 900
900
#21388B
oklch(37.7% 0.141 267.3)
-
Step 950
950
#132252
oklch(27.1% 0.09 267.1)
#9CB8FF 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) | #A0BEFF | 0.017 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96B5FD | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7CC6D1 | 0.094 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.106 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB8FF
#9CB8FF
oklch(78.9% 0.106 267.4)
- #D7B666
#D7B666
oklch(78.8% 0.106 87.5)
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 #9CB8FF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.021
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.021
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.054
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.063
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.063
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.064
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.067
Use #9CB8FF 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.