#9FBCEE
Closest named color: Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE). oklch(79.1% 0.078 261.2), rgb(159, 188, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.90:1).
About this color
#9FBCEE is a light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.078 and its hue 261°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.90:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.078) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Pastel Blue (#A2BFFE) |
| Black text | 10.90:1 |
| White text | 1.92:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9FBCEE |
| RGB | rgb(159, 188, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 70%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.1% 0.078 261.2) |
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 #9FBCEE | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc -41.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #9FBCEE | 10.90:1 | AAA | Lc 67.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #9FBCEE text on white | 1.92:1 | Fails | Lc 36.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #9FBCEE text on black | 10.90:1 | AAA | Lc -65.6 | 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
#E1EAFA
oklch(93.5% 0.024 262.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C9DAF7
oklch(88.5% 0.044 261.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#9FBCEE
oklch(79.1% 0.078 261.2)
-
Step 400
400
#74A0EE
oklch(70.7% 0.125 261.3)
-
Step 500
500
#4F86E9
oklch(63.1% 0.16 261.2)
-
Step 600
600
#336DD7
oklch(55.5% 0.174 261.2)
-
Step 700
700
#265BBB
oklch(49.2% 0.162 261.1)
-
Step 800
800
#214B97
oklch(42.8% 0.133 261.1)
-
Step 900
900
#203F78
oklch(37.7% 0.104 261.4)
-
Step 950
950
#132546
oklch(26.9% 0.066 261.5)
#9FBCEE 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) | #ABBFF0 | 0.018 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A3B7ED | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #87C6CD | 0.069 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.078 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9FBCEE
#9FBCEE
oklch(79.1% 0.078 261.2)
- #D5B681
#D5B681
oklch(79.1% 0.078 80.6)
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 #9FBCEE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.023
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.037
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.038
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.038
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.042
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.042
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.044
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.045
Use #9FBCEE 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.