#9EA8D8
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(74.1% 0.07 275.4), rgb(158, 168, 216).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.04:1).
About this color
#9EA8D8 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.070 and its hue 275°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.056 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.04:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.070) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 9.04:1 |
| White text | 2.32:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9EA8D8 |
| RGB | rgb(158, 168, 216) |
| HSL | hsl(230, 43%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.1% 0.07 275.4) |
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 #9EA8D8 | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc -50.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9EA8D8 | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc 58.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9EA8D8 text on white | 2.32:1 | Fails | Lc 45.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9EA8D8 text on black | 9.04:1 | AAA | Lc -56.3 | 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
#F4F5F9
oklch(97.1% 0.005 275)
-
Step 100
100
#E7E9F3
oklch(93.5% 0.014 277.1)
-
Step 200
200
#D4D8EA
oklch(88.5% 0.025 275.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B8BFDE
oklch(80.9% 0.044 275.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9EA8D8
oklch(74.1% 0.07 275.4)
-
Step 500
500
#7A85C0
oklch(63.1% 0.09 275.4)
-
Step 600
600
#636EAC
oklch(55.6% 0.097 275.1)
-
Step 700
700
#525C94
oklch(49.2% 0.09 274.9)
-
Step 800
800
#434B78
oklch(42.7% 0.075 275.1)
-
Step 900
900
#393F61
oklch(37.8% 0.059 275.6)
-
Step 950
950
#212539
oklch(27% 0.038 274.9)
#9EA8D8 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) | #9AACDA | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #96A8D7 | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8FB1B8 | 0.064 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AAAAAA | 0.070 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9EA8D8
#9EA8D8
oklch(74.1% 0.07 275.4)
- #B8AB78
#B8AB78
oklch(74% 0.07 95.5)
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 #9EA8D8, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.056
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.057
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.061
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.064
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.067
- Bluey Grey #89A0B0 ΔE 0.067
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.067
- Pale Purple #B790D4 ΔE 0.068
Use #9EA8D8 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.