#B9ABC4
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(76.1% 0.038 310.4), rgb(185, 171, 196).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.68:1).
About this color
#B9ABC4 is a medium-light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.038 and its hue 310°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.035 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.68:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.038) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 9.68:1 |
| White text | 2.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9ABC4 |
| RGB | rgb(185, 171, 196) |
| HSL | hsl(274, 17%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.1% 0.038 310.4) |
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 #B9ABC4 | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc -47.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9ABC4 | 9.68:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9ABC4 text on white | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9ABC4 text on black | 9.68:1 | AAA | Lc -59.6 | 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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F6F4F8
oklch(97% 0.006 308.4)
-
Step 100
100
#ECE8EF
oklch(93.6% 0.01 311.2)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD5E4
oklch(88.4% 0.022 309.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B9ABC4
oklch(76.1% 0.038 310.4)
-
Step 400
400
#AD96BE
oklch(70.7% 0.063 310.7)
-
Step 500
500
#987CAD
oklch(63% 0.079 310.2)
-
Step 600
600
#836599
oklch(55.7% 0.086 310.2)
-
Step 700
700
#6F5482
oklch(49.2% 0.078 310.6)
-
Step 800
800
#5A456A
oklch(42.8% 0.065 309.8)
-
Step 900
900
#4A3A56
oklch(37.7% 0.051 310.1)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2232
oklch(26.9% 0.032 309.9)
#B9ABC4 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) | #A8AFC5 | 0.025 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB0C3 | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B8AEB3 | 0.029 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.039 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9ABC4
#B9ABC4
oklch(76.1% 0.038 310.4)
- #A9B79D
#A9B79D
oklch(76.1% 0.039 130.5)
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 #B9ABC4, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.035
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.044
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.046
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.053
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.056
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.061
- Faded Pink #DE9DAC ΔE 0.065
Use #B9ABC4 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.