#9CB9DB
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(77.6% 0.058 252.6), rgb(156, 185, 219).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.37:1).
About this color
#9CB9DB is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.058 and its hue 253°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.015 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.37:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.058) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.37:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB9DB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 185, 219) |
| HSL | hsl(212, 47%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.6% 0.058 252.6) |
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 #9CB9DB | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB9DB | 10.37:1 | AAA | Lc 64.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB9DB text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 39.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB9DB text on black | 10.37:1 | AAA | Lc -63.0 | 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
#E2EBF5
oklch(93.6% 0.017 250.8)
-
Step 200
200
#CADBEF
oklch(88.5% 0.033 252.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB9DB
oklch(77.6% 0.058 252.6)
-
Step 400
400
#76A4D9
oklch(70.6% 0.093 252.6)
-
Step 500
500
#518DCF
oklch(63.2% 0.118 252.2)
-
Step 600
600
#3375BC
oklch(55.5% 0.129 252.6)
-
Step 700
700
#2562A2
oklch(49% 0.12 252.5)
-
Step 800
800
#215084
oklch(42.6% 0.101 253.2)
-
Step 900
900
#204369
oklch(37.6% 0.077 252.2)
-
Step 950
950
#14273E
oklch(26.9% 0.05 254.1)
#9CB9DB 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) | #ADBADD | 0.023 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A5B3DA | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8AC0C4 | 0.049 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.058 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB9DB
#9CB9DB
oklch(77.6% 0.058 252.6)
- #CDB18D
#CDB18D
oklch(77.6% 0.058 73.7)
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 #9CB9DB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.015
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.023
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.034
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.041
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.044
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.051
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.053
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.055
Use #9CB9DB 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.