#9DB6ED
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.7% 0.084 265.5), rgb(157, 182, 237).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.34:1).
About this color
#9DB6ED is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.084 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.34:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.084) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.34:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9DB6ED |
| RGB | rgb(157, 182, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 69%, 77%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.7% 0.084 265.5) |
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 #9DB6ED | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9DB6ED | 10.34:1 | AAA | Lc 64.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9DB6ED text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 39.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9DB6ED text on black | 10.34:1 | AAA | Lc -62.9 | 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
#F2F5FD
oklch(97% 0.011 269.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAFB
oklch(93.6% 0.025 265.6)
-
Step 200
200
#CAD9F9
oklch(88.4% 0.047 265.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9DB6ED
oklch(77.7% 0.084 265.5)
-
Step 400
400
#789DF4
oklch(70.6% 0.134 265.6)
-
Step 500
500
#5782F0
oklch(63.1% 0.172 265.7)
-
Step 600
600
#3E69DE
oklch(55.6% 0.185 265.5)
-
Step 700
700
#3056C1
oklch(49% 0.173 265.5)
-
Step 800
800
#28479C
oklch(42.6% 0.144 265.5)
-
Step 900
900
#243D7C
oklch(37.7% 0.111 265.2)
-
Step 950
950
#162449
oklch(27% 0.071 266.2)
#9DB6ED 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) | #A4BAEF | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9CB3EC | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #85C1C9 | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.084 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9DB6ED
#9DB6ED
oklch(77.7% 0.084 265.5)
- #CFB378
#CFB378
oklch(77.8% 0.083 85.2)
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 #9DB6ED, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.031
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.031
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.044
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.054
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.054
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.055
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.056
Use #9DB6ED 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.