#BDBBDA
Closest named color: Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE). oklch(80.4% 0.043 288.3), rgb(189, 187, 218).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.28:1).
About this color
#BDBBDA is a light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 80%, its chroma 0.043 and its hue 288°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.28:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (80%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.043) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE) |
| Black text | 11.28:1 |
| White text | 1.86:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDBBDA |
| RGB | rgb(189, 187, 218) |
| HSL | hsl(244, 30%, 79%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(80.4% 0.043 288.3) |
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 #BDBBDA | 1.86:1 | Fails | Lc -39.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDBBDA | 11.28:1 | AAA | Lc 68.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDBBDA text on white | 1.86:1 | Fails | Lc 35.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDBBDA text on black | 11.28:1 | AAA | Lc -67.4 | 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
#F5F5F9
oklch(97.1% 0.005 286.3)
-
Step 100
100
#E9E9F2
oklch(93.7% 0.012 286.2)
-
Step 200
200
#D8D7E9
oklch(88.5% 0.025 288.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDBBDA
oklch(80.4% 0.043 288.3)
-
Step 400
400
#9E9ACA
oklch(70.7% 0.07 288.3)
-
Step 500
500
#8781BC
oklch(63.2% 0.088 288.3)
-
Step 600
600
#7169A8
oklch(55.5% 0.097 288.7)
-
Step 700
700
#5F5891
oklch(49.2% 0.09 288.3)
-
Step 800
800
#4D4875
oklch(42.7% 0.074 287.9)
-
Step 900
900
#403C5F
oklch(37.6% 0.059 288.4)
-
Step 950
950
#262437
oklch(27.1% 0.035 288.7)
#BDBBDA 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) | #B4BFDB | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B4BDD9 | 0.013 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B7C0C5 | 0.038 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BEBEBE | 0.044 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDBBDA
#BDBBDA
oklch(80.4% 0.043 288.3)
- #C1C2A2
#C1C2A2
oklch(80.5% 0.044 108.8)
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 #BDBBDA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.027
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.028
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.035
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.041
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.043
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.044
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.048
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
Use #BDBBDA 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.