#9EB8EE
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.3% 0.083 264.6), rgb(158, 184, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.54:1).
About this color
#9EB8EE is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 265°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.54:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.54:1 |
| White text | 1.99:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9EB8EE |
| RGB | rgb(158, 184, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 70%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.083 264.6) |
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 #9EB8EE | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc -42.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9EB8EE | 10.54:1 | AAA | Lc 65.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9EB8EE text on white | 1.99:1 | Fails | Lc 38.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9EB8EE text on black | 10.54:1 | AAA | Lc -63.9 | 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
#F2F6FD
oklch(97.2% 0.01 261.8)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAFA
oklch(93.6% 0.023 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CAD9F8
oklch(88.4% 0.046 264.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9EB8EE
oklch(78.3% 0.083 264.6)
-
Step 400
400
#779EF3
oklch(70.7% 0.132 264.6)
-
Step 500
500
#5583EF
oklch(63.1% 0.17 264.7)
-
Step 600
600
#3B6ADD
oklch(55.6% 0.183 264.4)
-
Step 700
700
#2E57C0
oklch(49% 0.171 264.7)
-
Step 800
800
#27489B
oklch(42.7% 0.141 264.7)
-
Step 900
900
#233D7B
oklch(37.6% 0.11 264.6)
-
Step 950
950
#152448
oklch(26.9% 0.07 265)
#9EB8EE 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) | #A6BCF0 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9EB4ED | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #86C3CA | 0.075 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9EB8EE
#9EB8EE
oklch(78.3% 0.083 264.6)
- #D1B47A
#D1B47A
oklch(78.2% 0.083 84.1)
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 #9EB8EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.027
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.032
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.043
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.045
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.050
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.051
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.051
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.051
Use #9EB8EE 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.