#9CB9CD
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(77.1% 0.043 238.2), rgb(156, 185, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.23:1).
About this color
#9CB9CD is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.043 and its hue 238°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.23:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.043) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.23:1 |
| White text | 2.05:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB9CD |
| RGB | rgb(156, 185, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(204, 33%, 71%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.1% 0.043 238.2) |
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 #9CB9CD | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc -44.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB9CD | 10.23:1 | AAA | Lc 64.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB9CD text on white | 2.05:1 | Fails | Lc 40.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB9CD text on black | 10.23:1 | AAA | Lc -62.3 | 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
#F2F6F9
oklch(97.1% 0.006 239.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EBF1
oklch(93.6% 0.012 239.9)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDCE7
oklch(88.5% 0.024 236)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB9CD
oklch(77.1% 0.043 238.2)
-
Step 400
400
#78A7C7
oklch(70.7% 0.069 238.8)
-
Step 500
500
#5391B8
oklch(63.1% 0.087 237.9)
-
Step 600
600
#357BA4
oklch(55.7% 0.094 237.6)
-
Step 700
700
#27678D
oklch(49.1% 0.089 238.5)
-
Step 800
800
#225472
oklch(42.6% 0.073 238.2)
-
Step 900
900
#22465C
oklch(37.8% 0.056 237.6)
-
Step 950
950
#142936
oklch(27% 0.036 237.4)
#9CB9CD 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) | #B0B8CE | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB3CD | 0.023 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8EBEBF | 0.033 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.043 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB9CD
#9CB9CD
oklch(77.1% 0.043 238.2)
- #CAAE9A
#CAAE9A
oklch(77% 0.043 57.6)
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 #9CB9CD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.011
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.023
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.029
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.035
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.045
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.054
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.056
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.057
Use #9CB9CD 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.