#9EA4BF
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(72.3% 0.04 275.5), rgb(158, 164, 191).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.51:1).
About this color
#9EA4BF is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.040 and its hue 275°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.51:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.040) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 8.51:1 |
| White text | 2.46:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9EA4BF |
| RGB | rgb(158, 164, 191) |
| HSL | hsl(229, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.3% 0.04 275.5) |
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 #9EA4BF | 2.46:1 | Fails | Lc -53.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9EA4BF | 8.51:1 | AAA | Lc 55.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9EA4BF text on white | 2.46:1 | Fails | Lc 48.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9EA4BF text on black | 8.51:1 | AAA | Lc -53.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F5F5F8
oklch(97.1% 0.004 286.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E8E9EF
oklch(93.5% 0.008 278.6)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D9E2
oklch(88.6% 0.013 271.3)
-
Step 300
300
#BCC0D1
oklch(81% 0.024 275.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9EA4BF
oklch(72.3% 0.04 275.5)
-
Step 500
500
#8087A9
oklch(63% 0.052 275.7)
-
Step 600
600
#6A7194
oklch(55.6% 0.055 275.7)
-
Step 700
700
#585F7E
oklch(49.2% 0.05 274.5)
-
Step 800
800
#484D67
oklch(42.6% 0.044 275.9)
-
Step 900
900
#3C4053
oklch(37.6% 0.033 275.4)
-
Step 950
950
#232631
oklch(27% 0.021 273)
#9EA4BF 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) | #9DA6C0 | 0.005 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9BA4BE | 0.004 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #97A9AD | 0.035 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A5A5A5 | 0.040 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9EA4BF
#9EA4BF
oklch(72.3% 0.04 275.5)
- #ADA68A
#ADA68A
oklch(72.4% 0.04 95.6)
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 #9EA4BF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.024
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.038
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.040
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.040
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.041
- Cool Gray #8D99AE ΔE 0.044
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.051
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.054
Use #9EA4BF 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.