#BDBDDB
Closest named color: Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE). oklch(80.8% 0.042 285.4), rgb(189, 189, 219).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.46:1).
About this color
#BDBDDB is a light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.042 and its hue 285°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE), ΔE 0.023 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.46:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.042) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE) |
| Black text | 11.46:1 |
| White text | 1.83:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDBDDB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 189, 219) |
| HSL | hsl(240, 29%, 80%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(80.8% 0.042 285.4) |
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 #BDBDDB | 1.83:1 | Fails | Lc -38.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDBDDB | 11.46:1 | AAA | Lc 69.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDBDDB text on white | 1.83:1 | Fails | Lc 34.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDBDDB text on black | 11.46:1 | AAA | Lc -68.3 | 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
#D7D7E8
oklch(88.4% 0.023 285.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDBDDB
oklch(80.8% 0.042 285.4)
-
Step 400
400
#9C9BC9
oklch(70.7% 0.067 285.6)
-
Step 500
500
#8482BC
oklch(63.1% 0.087 285.2)
-
Step 600
600
#6E6BA8
oklch(55.6% 0.094 285.2)
-
Step 700
700
#5C5990
oklch(49.1% 0.087 285.2)
-
Step 800
800
#4B4975
oklch(42.7% 0.072 285)
-
Step 900
900
#3F3D5E
oklch(37.7% 0.056 286.2)
-
Step 950
950
#252437
oklch(27% 0.035 286.2)
#BDBDDB 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) | #B6C0DC | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B5BFDA | 0.012 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B7C2C7 | 0.037 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #BFBFBF | 0.042 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDBDDB
#BDBDDB
oklch(80.8% 0.042 285.4)
- #C4C2A3
#C4C2A3
oklch(80.7% 0.042 104.3)
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 #BDBDDB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.023
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.026
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.030
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.039
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.042
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.044
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.047
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.048
Use #BDBDDB 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.