#B9ABCD
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(76.4% 0.05 303.9), rgb(185, 171, 205).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.76:1).
About this color
#B9ABCD is a medium-light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.050 and its hue 304°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.044 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.76:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.050) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 9.76:1 |
| White text | 2.14:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9ABCD |
| RGB | rgb(185, 171, 205) |
| HSL | hsl(265, 25%, 74%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.4% 0.05 303.9) |
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 #B9ABCD | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc -46.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9ABCD | 9.76:1 | AAA | Lc 61.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9ABCD text on white | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc 42.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9ABCD text on black | 9.76:1 | AAA | Lc -60.0 | 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
#F6F4F9
oklch(97% 0.007 304.2)
-
Step 100
100
#ECE8F2
oklch(93.7% 0.014 304.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD5E9
oklch(88.5% 0.028 303.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B9ABCD
oklch(76.4% 0.05 303.9)
-
Step 400
400
#AB94CA
oklch(70.6% 0.081 303.9)
-
Step 500
500
#9779BC
oklch(63% 0.103 304.2)
-
Step 600
600
#8261A8
oklch(55.6% 0.112 304.4)
-
Step 700
700
#6E5090
oklch(49.1% 0.104 304.5)
-
Step 800
800
#594275
oklch(42.7% 0.086 303.8)
-
Step 900
900
#49385E
oklch(37.6% 0.066 304)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2137
oklch(27% 0.042 304.6)
#B9ABCD 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) | #A5B0CF | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A8B1CC | 0.028 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B6AFB6 | 0.039 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.050 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9ABCD
#B9ABCD
oklch(76.4% 0.05 303.9)
- #ACB895
#ACB895
oklch(76.4% 0.05 123)
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 #B9ABCD, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.044
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.053
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.056
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.058
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.063
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.063
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.066
Use #B9ABCD 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.