#BDCDE9
Closest named color: Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2). oklch(84.5% 0.043 261.7), rgb(189, 205, 233).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.07:1).
About this color
#BDCDE9 is a light, muted blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 85%, its chroma 0.043 and its hue 262°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2), ΔE 0.016 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.07:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | light (85%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.043) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Light Blue Grey (#B7C9E2) |
| Black text | 13.07:1 |
| White text | 1.60:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDCDE9 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 205, 233) |
| HSL | hsl(218, 50%, 83%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(84.5% 0.043 261.7) |
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 #BDCDE9 | 1.60:1 | Fails | Lc -30.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDCDE9 | 13.07:1 | AAA | Lc 76.5 | Fine for body text |
| #BDCDE9 text on white | 1.60:1 | Fails | Lc 27.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #BDCDE9 text on black | 13.07:1 | AAA | Lc -75.7 | Fine for body text |
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
#F3F5F9
oklch(97% 0.006 264.5)
-
Step 100
100
#E5EAF2
oklch(93.6% 0.012 259.8)
-
Step 200
200
#D1DAE9
oklch(88.6% 0.023 260.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDCDE9
oklch(84.5% 0.043 261.7)
-
Step 400
400
#89A1CC
oklch(70.6% 0.069 261.9)
-
Step 500
500
#6C8ABF
oklch(63.2% 0.087 261.4)
-
Step 600
600
#5473AB
oklch(55.6% 0.095 261.7)
-
Step 700
700
#446093
oklch(49.1% 0.089 261.7)
-
Step 800
800
#384F77
oklch(42.8% 0.073 261)
-
Step 900
900
#314260
oklch(37.9% 0.056 261.4)
-
Step 950
950
#1D2638
oklch(26.9% 0.036 263.7)
#BDCDE9 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) | #C4CEEA | 0.010 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C0CAE8 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #B2D3D6 | 0.039 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CCCCCC | 0.043 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDCDE9
#BDCDE9
oklch(84.5% 0.043 261.7)
- #DACAAD
#DACAAD
oklch(84.5% 0.043 82.5)
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 #BDCDE9, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Light Blue Grey #B7C9E2 ΔE 0.016
- Light Steel Blue #B0C4DE ΔE 0.032
- Light Blue #ADD8E6 ΔE 0.035
- Light Periwinkle #C1C6FC ΔE 0.038
- Cadet Gray #CED4DA ΔE 0.039
- Baby Blue #A2CFFE ΔE 0.041
- Cloudy Blue #ACC2D9 ΔE 0.041
- Thistle #D8BFD8 ΔE 0.048
Use #BDCDE9 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.