#9EB9EF
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.5% 0.083 263.9), rgb(158, 185, 239).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.63:1).
About this color
#9EB9EF is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.083 and its hue 264°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.63:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.083) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.63:1 |
| White text | 1.97:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9EB9EF |
| RGB | rgb(158, 185, 239) |
| HSL | hsl(220, 72%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.5% 0.083 263.9) |
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 #9EB9EF | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc -42.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9EB9EF | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc 65.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9EB9EF text on white | 1.97:1 | Fails | Lc 38.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9EB9EF text on black | 10.63:1 | AAA | Lc -64.3 | 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
#E2EAFB
oklch(93.6% 0.025 265.6)
-
Step 200
200
#CADAF9
oklch(88.6% 0.046 263.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9EB9EF
oklch(78.5% 0.083 263.9)
-
Step 400
400
#769EF3
oklch(70.6% 0.133 264.2)
-
Step 500
500
#5383EF
oklch(63% 0.17 264.1)
-
Step 600
600
#396ADD
oklch(55.5% 0.184 264)
-
Step 700
700
#2C58C0
oklch(49.2% 0.171 263.9)
-
Step 800
800
#25489B
oklch(42.6% 0.142 264.1)
-
Step 900
900
#223E7C
oklch(37.8% 0.111 263.7)
-
Step 950
950
#142548
oklch(27.1% 0.069 263.1)
#9EB9EF 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) | #A7BDF1 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FB5EE | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #86C4CB | 0.074 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.083 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9EB9EF
#9EB9EF
oklch(78.5% 0.083 263.9)
- #D2B57B
#D2B57B
oklch(78.5% 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 #9EB9EF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.025
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.032
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.043
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.045
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.049
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.049
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.050
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.050
Use #9EB9EF 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.