#B9ABE3
Closest named color: Pale Violet (#CEAEFA). oklch(77.2% 0.08 295.9), rgb(185, 171, 227).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.99:1).
About this color
#B9ABE3 is a medium-light, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.080 and its hue 296°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Violet (#CEAEFA), ΔE 0.046 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.99:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.080) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Pale Violet (#CEAEFA) |
| Black text | 9.99:1 |
| White text | 2.10:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9ABE3 |
| RGB | rgb(185, 171, 227) |
| HSL | hsl(255, 50%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.2% 0.08 295.9) |
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 #B9ABE3 | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc -45.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9ABE3 | 9.99:1 | AAA | Lc 62.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9ABE3 text on white | 2.10:1 | Fails | Lc 41.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9ABE3 text on black | 9.99:1 | AAA | Lc -61.2 | 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
#F6F4FC
oklch(97.1% 0.011 297.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EBE7F8
oklch(93.6% 0.023 296.7)
-
Step 200
200
#DBD4F4
oklch(88.5% 0.044 295.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#B9ABE3
oklch(77.2% 0.08 295.9)
-
Step 400
400
#A88FE7
oklch(70.7% 0.128 296)
-
Step 500
500
#9470E0
oklch(63.1% 0.165 296.2)
-
Step 600
600
#7F56CE
oklch(55.7% 0.178 295.8)
-
Step 700
700
#6B45B2
oklch(49.1% 0.166 295.7)
-
Step 800
800
#573A90
oklch(42.7% 0.136 295.6)
-
Step 900
900
#483373
oklch(37.8% 0.106 296.1)
-
Step 950
950
#2A1E43
oklch(27% 0.067 296.6)
#B9ABE3 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) | #9FB3E5 | 0.038 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #A0B2E1 | 0.038 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B1B4BE | 0.067 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B3B3B3 | 0.080 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9ABE3
#B9ABE3
oklch(77.2% 0.08 295.9)
- #B2BC81
#B2BC81
oklch(77.3% 0.08 116.1)
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 #B9ABE3, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.046
- Plum #DDA0DD ΔE 0.057
- Lilac #CEA2FD ΔE 0.058
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.059
- Light Violet #D6B4FC ΔE 0.060
- Baby Purple #CA9BF7 ΔE 0.060
- Pastel Purple #CAA0FF ΔE 0.060
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.066
Use #B9ABE3 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.