#9CBAFF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(79.3% 0.104 266), rgb(156, 186, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.88:1).
About this color
#9CBAFF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.104 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.88:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.104) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.88:1 |
| White text | 1.92:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CBAFF |
| RGB | rgb(156, 186, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(222, 100%, 81%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.3% 0.104 266) |
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 #9CBAFF | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc -41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CBAFF | 10.88:1 | AAA | Lc 67.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CBAFF text on white | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc 36.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CBAFF text on black | 10.88:1 | AAA | Lc -65.5 | 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
#E0EAFF
oklch(93.6% 0.03 265.3)
-
Step 200
200
#C8D9FF
oklch(88.5% 0.056 266.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CBAFF
oklch(79.3% 0.104 266)
-
Step 400
400
#749CFF
oklch(70.8% 0.152 266)
-
Step 500
500
#517FFF
oklch(63.2% 0.197 266)
-
Step 600
600
#3360F8
oklch(55.6% 0.232 266)
-
Step 700
700
#274ED8
oklch(49.1% 0.215 266)
-
Step 800
800
#2141AE
oklch(42.7% 0.178 266.1)
-
Step 900
900
#1E398A
oklch(37.7% 0.139 265.9)
-
Step 950
950
#122251
oklch(27% 0.089 266.3)
#9CBAFF 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) | #A2BFFF | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #99B7FD | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7CC8D2 | 0.093 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.104 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CBAFF
#9CBAFF
oklch(79.3% 0.104 266)
- #D9B76A
#D9B76A
oklch(79.3% 0.104 86.2)
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 #9CBAFF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.016
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.022
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.050
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.053
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.058
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.058
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.060
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.064
Use #9CBAFF 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.