#9EB3E2
Closest named color: Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4). oklch(76.7% 0.072 266), rgb(158, 179, 226).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.00:1).
About this color
#9EB3E2 is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.072 and its hue 266°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.00:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.072) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Grey Blue (#9DBCD4) |
| Black text | 10.00:1 |
| White text | 2.09:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9EB3E2 |
| RGB | rgb(158, 179, 226) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 54%, 75%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.7% 0.072 266) |
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 #9EB3E2 | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc -45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9EB3E2 | 10.00:1 | AAA | Lc 62.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9EB3E2 text on white | 2.09:1 | Fails | Lc 41.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9EB3E2 text on black | 10.00:1 | AAA | Lc -61.2 | 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
#F2F5FC
oklch(97% 0.01 267.4)
-
Step 100
100
#E3EAF8
oklch(93.6% 0.02 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CDD9F4
oklch(88.5% 0.039 266.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9EB3E2
oklch(76.7% 0.072 266)
-
Step 400
400
#7F9EE8
oklch(70.6% 0.114 266.2)
-
Step 500
500
#5F84E2
oklch(63% 0.148 266.1)
-
Step 600
600
#476CCF
oklch(55.6% 0.159 266)
-
Step 700
700
#385AB4
oklch(49.2% 0.148 265.6)
-
Step 800
800
#2F4A91
oklch(42.8% 0.122 265.8)
-
Step 900
900
#293E74
oklch(37.6% 0.096 266)
-
Step 950
950
#182544
oklch(27% 0.061 265.4)
#9EB3E2 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) | #A4B6E4 | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EB0E1 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #8BBCC3 | 0.063 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.072 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9EB3E2
#9EB3E2
oklch(76.7% 0.072 266)
- #C8B17F
#C8B17F
oklch(76.8% 0.071 86)
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 #9EB3E2, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.037
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.043
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.044
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.045
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.051
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.055
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.058
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.062
Use #9EB3E2 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.