#9CB9BE
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(76.6% 0.032 209.2), rgb(156, 185, 190).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.09:1).
About this color
#9CB9BE is a medium-light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.032 and its hue 209°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.09:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.032) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 10.09:1 |
| White text | 2.07:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB9BE |
| RGB | rgb(156, 185, 190) |
| HSL | hsl(189, 21%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.6% 0.032 209.2) |
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 #9CB9BE | 2.07:1 | Fails | Lc -45.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB9BE | 10.09:1 | AAA | Lc 63.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB9BE text on white | 2.07:1 | Fails | Lc 40.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB9BE text on black | 10.09:1 | AAA | Lc -61.6 | 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
#F2F6F7
oklch(97% 0.004 214.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E3ECED
oklch(93.7% 0.01 204.9)
-
Step 200
200
#CCDDDF
oklch(88.5% 0.018 205.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB9BE
oklch(76.6% 0.032 209.2)
-
Step 400
400
#7BAAB2
oklch(70.7% 0.051 209.1)
-
Step 500
500
#56959F
oklch(63.1% 0.067 208.7)
-
Step 600
600
#397F8A
oklch(55.6% 0.072 209.1)
-
Step 700
700
#2A6B75
oklch(49.1% 0.067 209.1)
-
Step 800
800
#25575F
oklch(42.6% 0.055 209.3)
-
Step 900
900
#23484E
oklch(37.7% 0.043 209.1)
-
Step 950
950
#162A2E
oklch(27% 0.027 211.7)
#9CB9BE 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) | #B4B6BE | 0.032 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AEB2BE | 0.029 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #92BCBA | 0.017 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B4B4B4 | 0.033 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB9BE
#9CB9BE
oklch(76.6% 0.032 209.2)
- #C7ACA7
#C7ACA7
oklch(76.7% 0.032 30.2)
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 #9CB9BE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.023
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.031
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.038
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.045
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.049
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.053
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.054
Use #9CB9BE 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.