#BDB4DC
Closest named color: Cloudy Blue (#ACC2D9). oklch(79.1% 0.057 295.4), rgb(189, 180, 220).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.72:1).
About this color
#BDB4DC is a light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.057 and its hue 295°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cloudy Blue (#ACC2D9), ΔE 0.043 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.72:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.057) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Cloudy Blue (#ACC2D9) |
| Black text | 10.72:1 |
| White text | 1.95:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB4DC |
| RGB | rgb(189, 180, 220) |
| HSL | hsl(253, 36%, 78%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.1% 0.057 295.4) |
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 #BDB4DC | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc -42.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB4DC | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc 66.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB4DC text on white | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc 37.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB4DC text on black | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc -64.7 | 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
#F6F4FA
oklch(97% 0.008 301.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EAE8F4
oklch(93.6% 0.016 293.7)
-
Step 200
200
#DAD5EC
oklch(88.4% 0.032 295.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB4DC
oklch(79.1% 0.057 295.4)
-
Step 400
400
#A595D4
oklch(70.7% 0.092 295.6)
-
Step 500
500
#8F7AC8
oklch(63.1% 0.116 295.2)
-
Step 600
600
#7A62B5
oklch(55.7% 0.127 295.3)
-
Step 700
700
#67519B
oklch(49.2% 0.116 295.5)
-
Step 800
800
#54427E
oklch(42.7% 0.098 295.8)
-
Step 900
900
#453865
oklch(37.6% 0.076 295.8)
-
Step 950
950
#28213B
oklch(26.9% 0.048 295.4)
#BDB4DC 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) | #ACBADE | 0.026 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #ADB9DB | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B7BAC1 | 0.048 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.057 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB4DC
#BDB4DC
oklch(79.1% 0.057 295.4)
- #B9C096
#B9C096
oklch(79.1% 0.058 115.4)
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 #BDB4DC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.043
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.043
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.049
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.052
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.053
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.054
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.056
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.056
Use #BDB4DC 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.