#A0AEC0
Closest named color: Cool Steel (#97A7B3). oklch(74.6% 0.03 254.7), rgb(160, 174, 192).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.31:1).
About this color
#A0AEC0 is a medium-light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.030 and its hue 255°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cool Steel (#97A7B3), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.31:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.030) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cool Steel (#97A7B3) |
| Black text | 9.31:1 |
| White text | 2.25:1 |
Values
| HEX | #A0AEC0 |
| RGB | rgb(160, 174, 192) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 20%, 69%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.6% 0.03 254.7) |
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 #A0AEC0 | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc -49.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #A0AEC0 | 9.31:1 | AAA | Lc 59.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #A0AEC0 text on white | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc 44.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #A0AEC0 text on black | 9.31:1 | AAA | Lc -57.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F5F7
oklch(97% 0.003 264.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E7EAED
oklch(93.6% 0.005 247.9)
-
Step 200
200
#D4DAE0
oklch(88.6% 0.011 247.9)
-
Step 300
300
#B9C1CD
oklch(80.8% 0.019 258.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#A0AEC0
oklch(74.6% 0.03 254.7)
-
Step 500
500
#7A8BA1
oklch(63.1% 0.039 255)
-
Step 600
600
#63758C
oklch(55.6% 0.042 254.7)
-
Step 700
700
#526277
oklch(49.1% 0.039 255.3)
-
Step 800
800
#435061
oklch(42.7% 0.033 255.2)
-
Step 900
900
#39424F
oklch(37.6% 0.025 257.5)
-
Step 950
950
#21272E
oklch(27% 0.016 252.4)
#A0AEC0 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) | #A8AEC1 | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A4ABC0 | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #98B2B4 | 0.026 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.030 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #A0AEC0
#A0AEC0
oklch(74.6% 0.03 254.7)
- #B8AA98
#B8AA98
oklch(74.5% 0.03 74.2)
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 #A0AEC0, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.027
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.028
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.032
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.040
- Cool Grey #95A3A6 ΔE 0.046
- Pewter #96A8A1 ΔE 0.047
- Bluegrey #85A3B2 ΔE 0.051
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.053
Use #A0AEC0 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.