#BDB7DB
Closest named color: Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE). oklch(79.6% 0.051 292.9), rgb(189, 183, 219).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.96:1).
About this color
#BDB7DB is a light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 80%, its chroma 0.051 and its hue 293°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.96:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (80%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.051) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE) |
| Black text | 10.96:1 |
| White text | 1.91:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB7DB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 183, 219) |
| HSL | hsl(250, 33%, 79%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(79.6% 0.051 292.9) |
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 #BDB7DB | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc -40.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB7DB | 10.96:1 | AAA | Lc 67.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB7DB text on white | 1.91:1 | Fails | Lc 36.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB7DB text on black | 10.96:1 | AAA | Lc -65.9 | 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
#F5F5FA
oklch(97.2% 0.007 286.3)
-
Step 100
100
#EAE8F3
oklch(93.6% 0.015 294.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D9D6EB
oklch(88.5% 0.029 292.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB7DB
oklch(79.6% 0.051 292.9)
-
Step 400
400
#A297CF
oklch(70.6% 0.082 293.2)
-
Step 500
500
#8C7DC3
oklch(63.1% 0.104 293)
-
Step 600
600
#7665AF
oklch(55.5% 0.113 292.9)
-
Step 700
700
#635497
oklch(49.1% 0.105 292.4)
-
Step 800
800
#51457A
oklch(42.7% 0.087 292.8)
-
Step 900
900
#433A62
oklch(37.6% 0.068 293.2)
-
Step 950
950
#27223A
oklch(26.9% 0.044 292.7)
#BDB7DB 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) | #AFBCDD | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B0BBDA | 0.020 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B7BCC3 | 0.042 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BBBBBB | 0.051 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB7DB
#BDB7DB
oklch(79.6% 0.051 292.9)
- #BCC09B
#BCC09B
oklch(79.5% 0.051 112.6)
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 #BDB7DB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.036
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.036
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.046
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.046
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.046
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.050
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.052
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.053
Use #BDB7DB 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.