#9FB8EE
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(78.3% 0.082 265.3), rgb(159, 184, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.56:1).
About this color
#9FB8EE is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.082 and its hue 265°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.56:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.082) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.56:1 |
| White text | 1.98:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9FB8EE |
| RGB | rgb(159, 184, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(221, 70%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.3% 0.082 265.3) |
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 #9FB8EE | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc -42.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9FB8EE | 10.56:1 | AAA | Lc 65.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9FB8EE text on white | 1.98:1 | Fails | Lc 38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9FB8EE text on black | 10.56:1 | AAA | Lc -64.0 | 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
#F2F5FD
oklch(97% 0.011 269.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EAFA
oklch(93.6% 0.023 264.5)
-
Step 200
200
#CBD9F8
oklch(88.5% 0.045 266.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9FB8EE
oklch(78.3% 0.082 265.3)
-
Step 400
400
#799EF3
oklch(70.8% 0.132 265.3)
-
Step 500
500
#5783EE
oklch(63.1% 0.168 265.1)
-
Step 600
600
#3E69DD
oklch(55.6% 0.184 265.4)
-
Step 700
700
#3057BF
oklch(49% 0.169 265.1)
-
Step 800
800
#28489B
oklch(42.7% 0.141 265)
-
Step 900
900
#253D7B
oklch(37.7% 0.11 265.5)
-
Step 950
950
#162448
oklch(26.9% 0.07 265.9)
#9FB8EE 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) | #9FB5ED | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #88C3CA | 0.074 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B8B8B8 | 0.082 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9FB8EE
#9FB8EE
oklch(78.3% 0.082 265.3)
- #D0B57B
#D0B57B
oklch(78.3% 0.082 85.6)
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 #9FB8EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.026
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.033
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.043
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.046
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.050
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.051
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.052
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.052
Use #9FB8EE 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.