#B9ABC5
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(76.1% 0.04 309.5), rgb(185, 171, 197).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.69:1).
About this color
#B9ABC5 is a medium-light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.040 and its hue 309°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.69:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.040) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 9.69:1 |
| White text | 2.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9ABC5 |
| RGB | rgb(185, 171, 197) |
| HSL | hsl(272, 18%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.1% 0.04 309.5) |
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 #B9ABC5 | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc -47.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9ABC5 | 9.69:1 | AAA | Lc 61.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9ABC5 text on white | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9ABC5 text on black | 9.69:1 | 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
#ECE8F0
oklch(93.6% 0.011 308.3)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD5E4
oklch(88.4% 0.022 309.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B9ABC5
oklch(76.1% 0.04 309.5)
-
Step 400
400
#AC96BF
oklch(70.6% 0.064 309)
-
Step 500
500
#987CAF
oklch(63.1% 0.081 309.2)
-
Step 600
600
#83649A
oklch(55.5% 0.089 310)
-
Step 700
700
#6F5384
oklch(49.1% 0.083 309.8)
-
Step 800
800
#5A446B
oklch(42.6% 0.068 309.5)
-
Step 900
900
#4A3A57
oklch(37.8% 0.052 309.2)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2233
oklch(27% 0.033 308.4)
#B9ABC5 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) | #A7AFC6 | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB0C4 | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B8AEB3 | 0.030 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.040 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9ABC5
#B9ABC5
oklch(76.1% 0.04 309.5)
- #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 #B9ABC5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.036
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.045
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.048
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.053
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.057
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.061
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.065
Use #B9ABC5 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.