#BDBFDB
Closest named color: Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE). oklch(81.2% 0.039 282.2), rgb(189, 191, 219).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.63:1).
About this color
#BDBFDB is a light, muted purple. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.039 and its hue 282°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.63:1.
| Hue family | Purples |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.039) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Steel Blue (#B0C4DE) |
| Black text | 11.63:1 |
| White text | 1.80:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDBFDB |
| RGB | rgb(189, 191, 219) |
| HSL | hsl(236, 29%, 80%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.2% 0.039 282.2) |
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 #BDBFDB | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc -37.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDBFDB | 11.63:1 | AAA | Lc 70.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDBFDB text on white | 1.80:1 | Fails | Lc 33.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDBFDB text on black | 11.63:1 | AAA | Lc -69.1 | 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
#E8E9F1
oklch(93.6% 0.011 280.5)
-
Step 200
200
#D6D8E8
oklch(88.5% 0.022 280.3)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDBFDB
oklch(81.2% 0.039 282.2)
-
Step 400
400
#9A9CC7
oklch(70.6% 0.063 282.6)
-
Step 500
500
#8284B9
oklch(63.2% 0.079 282.2)
-
Step 600
600
#6B6DA5
oklch(55.6% 0.086 281.6)
-
Step 700
700
#5A5A8E
oklch(49% 0.083 282.9)
-
Step 800
800
#494A73
oklch(42.7% 0.068 282.1)
-
Step 900
900
#3D3E5D
oklch(37.7% 0.053 282.1)
-
Step 950
950
#242436
oklch(26.9% 0.033 283.9)
#BDBFDB 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) | #B8C2DC | 0.009 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B7C0DA | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B7C4C8 | 0.035 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C1C1C1 | 0.039 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDBFDB
#BDBFDB
oklch(81.2% 0.039 282.2)
- #C6C3A6
#C6C3A6
oklch(81.2% 0.04 102.4)
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 #BDBFDB, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.020
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.024
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.025
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.038
- Silver #C0C0C0 ΔE 0.040
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.045
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.046
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.047
Use #BDBFDB 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.