#9CB9FF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(79.1% 0.105 266.7), rgb(156, 185, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.79:1).
About this color
#9CB9FF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.105 and its hue 267°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.019 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.79:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.105) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.79:1 |
| White text | 1.94:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB9FF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 185, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(222, 100%, 81%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.1% 0.105 266.7) |
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 #9CB9FF | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc -41.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CB9FF | 10.79:1 | AAA | Lc 66.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CB9FF text on white | 1.94:1 | Fails | Lc 37.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CB9FF text on black | 10.79:1 | AAA | Lc -65.1 | 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
#C8D9FF
oklch(88.5% 0.056 266.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CB9FF
oklch(79.1% 0.105 266.7)
-
Step 400
400
#759BFF
oklch(70.6% 0.153 266.8)
-
Step 500
500
#537EFF
oklch(63.1% 0.197 266.8)
-
Step 600
600
#365FF9
oklch(55.6% 0.234 266.7)
-
Step 700
700
#2A4DD9
oklch(49.1% 0.217 266.7)
-
Step 800
800
#2340AF
oklch(42.6% 0.18 266.8)
-
Step 900
900
#20388B
oklch(37.7% 0.141 267)
-
Step 950
950
#132251
oklch(27% 0.088 267)
#9CB9FF 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) | #A1BFFF | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #97B6FD | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7CC7D1 | 0.094 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BABABA | 0.105 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB9FF
#9CB9FF
oklch(79.1% 0.105 266.7)
- #D8B668
#D8B668
oklch(79% 0.105 86.4)
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 #9CB9FF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.019
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.022
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.055
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.060
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.061
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.062
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
Use #9CB9FF 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.