#9CBDB8
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(77.3% 0.036 185.2), rgb(156, 189, 184).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.38:1).
About this color
#9CBDB8 is a medium-light, muted teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.036 and its hue 185°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.38:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.036) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 10.38:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CBDB8 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 189, 184) |
| HSL | hsl(171, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.036 185.2) |
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 #9CBDB8 | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CBDB8 | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc 64.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CBDB8 text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 39.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CBDB8 text on black | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc -63.1 | 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
#F2F6F6
oklch(97% 0.004 197.1)
-
Step 100
100
#E3ECEB
oklch(93.6% 0.01 189.1)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDEDB
oklch(88.6% 0.021 185.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CBDB8
oklch(77.3% 0.036 185.2)
-
Step 400
400
#77ADA5
oklch(70.8% 0.058 184.5)
-
Step 500
500
#50988F
oklch(63% 0.074 185)
-
Step 600
600
#2F837A
oklch(55.7% 0.081 185.3)
-
Step 700
700
#206E66
oklch(49% 0.075 185.2)
-
Step 800
800
#1E5A54
oklch(42.7% 0.062 185.9)
-
Step 900
900
#1F4A45
oklch(37.7% 0.049 185.3)
-
Step 950
950
#132B28
oklch(26.8% 0.031 185.1)
#9CBDB8 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) | #B9B9B8 | 0.038 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B3B4B9 | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #93BFBB | 0.011 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.037 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CBDB8
#9CBDB8
oklch(77.3% 0.036 185.2)
- #CAACB2
#CAACB2
oklch(77.2% 0.036 4.4)
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 #9CBDB8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.033
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.042
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.045
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.050
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.051
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.052
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.052
- Muted Teal #90B494 ΔE 0.054
Use #9CBDB8 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.