#BDB9EC
Closest named color: Light Periwinkle (#C1C6FC). oklch(80.6% 0.072 288.3), rgb(189, 185, 236).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.31:1).
About this color
#BDB9EC is a light, moderately saturated purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.072 and its hue 288°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Periwinkle (#C1C6FC), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.31:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.072) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Periwinkle (#C1C6FC) |
| Black text | 11.31:1 |
| White text | 1.85:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB9EC |
| RGB | rgb(189, 185, 236) |
| HSL | hsl(245, 57%, 83%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(80.6% 0.072 288.3) |
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 #BDB9EC | 1.85:1 | Fails | Lc -39.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB9EC | 11.31:1 | AAA | Lc 68.9 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB9EC text on white | 1.85:1 | Fails | Lc 35.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB9EC text on black | 11.31:1 | AAA | Lc -67.6 | 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
#F5F5FC
oklch(97.2% 0.009 286.2)
-
Step 100
100
#E9E8F7
oklch(93.6% 0.02 289.1)
-
Step 200
200
#D7D6F3
oklch(88.6% 0.04 287.1)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB9EC
oklch(80.6% 0.072 288.3)
-
Step 400
400
#9D95E4
oklch(70.8% 0.114 287.7)
-
Step 500
500
#8778DC
oklch(63.1% 0.147 288.3)
-
Step 600
600
#725FC9
oklch(55.6% 0.158 288.4)
-
Step 700
700
#604EAE
oklch(49.2% 0.147 288.4)
-
Step 800
800
#4E408D
oklch(42.7% 0.123 288.4)
-
Step 900
900
#403771
oklch(37.7% 0.096 288)
-
Step 950
950
#252142
oklch(27% 0.06 287.2)
#BDB9EC 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) | #ADBFEE | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #ACBDEB | 0.024 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B3C1CA | 0.062 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BEBEBE | 0.072 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB9EC
#BDB9EC
oklch(80.6% 0.072 288.3)
- #C3C48E
#C3C48E
oklch(80.6% 0.072 108.8)
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 #BDB9EC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.036
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.041
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.043
- Pale Violet #CEAEFA ΔE 0.045
- Light Violet #D6B4FC ΔE 0.046
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.047
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.049
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.053
Use #BDB9EC 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.