#9DB5FD
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(78.2% 0.107 269.7), rgb(157, 181, 253).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.46:1).
About this color
#9DB5FD is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.107 and its hue 270°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.46:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.107) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.46:1 |
| White text | 2.00:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9DB5FD |
| RGB | rgb(157, 181, 253) |
| HSL | hsl(225, 96%, 80%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.2% 0.107 269.7) |
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 #9DB5FD | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc -43.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9DB5FD | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc 65.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9DB5FD text on white | 2.00:1 | Fails | Lc 38.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9DB5FD text on black | 10.46:1 | AAA | Lc -63.5 | 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
#F2F5FF
oklch(97.1% 0.014 272.7)
-
Step 100
100
#E2E9FF
oklch(93.5% 0.031 271.7)
-
Step 200
200
#CAD8FF
oklch(88.4% 0.056 269.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9DB5FD
oklch(78.2% 0.107 269.7)
-
Step 400
400
#7B9AFF
oklch(70.8% 0.152 269.4)
-
Step 500
500
#5C7CFF
oklch(63.1% 0.197 269.6)
-
Step 600
600
#425BFB
oklch(55.6% 0.237 269.7)
-
Step 700
700
#3549DB
oklch(49.1% 0.221 269.7)
-
Step 800
800
#2B3EB1
oklch(42.8% 0.183 269.5)
-
Step 900
900
#26378C
oklch(37.9% 0.142 269.7)
-
Step 950
950
#162152
oklch(27.1% 0.09 269.8)
#9DB5FD 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) | #9DBBFF | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #94B3FB | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7FC3CE | 0.095 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.107 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9DB5FD
#9DB5FD
oklch(78.2% 0.107 269.7)
- #D3B564
#D3B564
oklch(78.2% 0.106 89.5)
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 #9DB5FD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.023
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.028
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.060
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.063
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.067
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.068
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.069
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.070
Use #9DB5FD 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.