#BCABC9
Closest named color: French Gray (#ADB5BD). oklch(76.5% 0.046 310.6), rgb(188, 171, 201).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.80:1).
About this color
#BCABC9 is a medium-light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.046 and its hue 311°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is French Gray (#ADB5BD), ΔE 0.042 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.80:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.046) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | French Gray (#ADB5BD) |
| Black text | 9.80:1 |
| White text | 2.14:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BCABC9 |
| RGB | rgb(188, 171, 201) |
| HSL | hsl(274, 22%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.5% 0.046 310.6) |
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 #BCABC9 | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc -46.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BCABC9 | 9.80:1 | AAA | Lc 61.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BCABC9 text on white | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc 42.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BCABC9 text on black | 9.80:1 | AAA | Lc -60.2 | 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
#F7F4F9
oklch(97.1% 0.007 312.3)
-
Step 100
100
#EDE7F1
oklch(93.6% 0.015 312.2)
-
Step 200
200
#DED5E6
oklch(88.5% 0.025 309.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BCABC9
oklch(76.5% 0.046 310.6)
-
Step 400
400
#AF94C3
oklch(70.7% 0.073 310.5)
-
Step 500
500
#9B79B4
oklch(63.1% 0.094 310.2)
-
Step 600
600
#8661A0
oklch(55.6% 0.103 310.3)
-
Step 700
700
#725089
oklch(49.1% 0.096 310.7)
-
Step 800
800
#5D426F
oklch(42.8% 0.079 310.9)
-
Step 900
900
#4C385A
oklch(37.7% 0.062 310.6)
-
Step 950
950
#2C2135
oklch(27% 0.039 309.1)
#BCABC9 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) | #A7B0CA | 0.031 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #AAB1C8 | 0.029 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #BBAEB5 | 0.033 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.046 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BCABC9
#BCABC9
oklch(76.5% 0.046 310.6)
- #A9B99B
#A9B99B
oklch(76.5% 0.045 130.4)
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 #BCABC9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.042
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.049
- Dark Gray #A9A9A9 ΔE 0.055
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.055
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.059
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.063
- Cool Steel #97A7B3 ΔE 0.064
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.064
Use #BCABC9 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.