#9CBEEB
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(79.3% 0.074 255.6), rgb(156, 190, 235).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.97:1).
About this color
#9CBEEB is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.074 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.029 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.97:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.074) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.97:1 |
| White text | 1.91:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CBEEB |
| RGB | rgb(156, 190, 235) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 66%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.3% 0.074 255.6) |
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 #9CBEEB | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc -40.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9CBEEB | 10.97:1 | AAA | Lc 67.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9CBEEB text on white | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc 36.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9CBEEB text on black | 10.97:1 | AAA | Lc -66.0 | 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
#F1F6FC
oklch(97.1% 0.01 252.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E1EBF8
oklch(93.6% 0.021 254.9)
-
Step 200
200
#C8DBF5
oklch(88.5% 0.041 256.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9CBEEB
oklch(79.3% 0.074 255.6)
-
Step 400
400
#6DA3E9
oklch(70.7% 0.118 255.4)
-
Step 500
500
#448AE3
oklch(63.1% 0.152 255.6)
-
Step 600
600
#2172D1
oklch(55.7% 0.165 255.5)
-
Step 700
700
#125FB5
oklch(49.1% 0.153 255.5)
-
Step 800
800
#144E92
oklch(42.7% 0.126 255.5)
-
Step 900
900
#184175
oklch(37.6% 0.1 256)
-
Step 950
950
#0F2744
oklch(27% 0.062 254.6)
#9CBEEB 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) | #AEC0ED | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A5B8EA | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #84C8CD | 0.065 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.074 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CBEEB
#9CBEEB
oklch(79.3% 0.074 255.6)
- #D7B586
#D7B586
oklch(79.2% 0.074 75.4)
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 #9CBEEB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.029
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.031
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.032
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.036
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.038
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.040
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.040
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.041
Use #9CBEEB 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.