What color is #96B9DE?

#96B9DE is a light, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(150, 185, 222), and in HSL hsl(211, 52%, 73%).

Is #96B9DE accessible as text?

On white, #96B9DE has a contrast ratio of 2.04:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.29:1 (passes). For text placed on #96B9DE, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #96B9DE?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is blue-300 (#8EC5FF).

What colors go well with #96B9DE?

#96B9DE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DEBB96. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #96B9DE below.

Is #96B9DE good for buttons?

#96B9DE works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #96B9DE — white text only reaches 2.04:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #96B9DE the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #96B9DE is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#96B9DE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #96B9DE

Not just a swatch — here's how #96B9DE works with other colors. Named schemes with #96B9DE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #96B9DE Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7C93A6 Anchor #2E3236

Light Steel Blue keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #96B9DE Accent #A5C4C1 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #20344A

Light Steel Blue opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #96B9DE Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B2B2A0 Ink #2C2724

Light Steel Blue sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #96B9DE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #BFE0FF

Light Steel Blue is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Light Steel Blue.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #96B9DE Secondary #D7E4F1 Support #959386 Ink #16140F

Light Steel Blue is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Light Steel Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #96B9DE actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 32/100

Cool

Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.

Softness 69/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 22/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 36/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 29/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 25/100

Low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 29/100

Low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 59/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 86/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #96B9DE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #96B9DE with

Pale Turquoise Iceberg Burlywood Gainsboro Charcoal

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AAA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 9.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #ECF1F6 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #96A1DE — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #96B9DE at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #96B9DE;
  --color-base-rgb: 150 185 222;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(77.3% 0.065 250.1);
  --color-50: #F3F7FC;
  --color-100: #DFEAF6;
  --color-200: #C1D5EB;
  --color-300: #96B6D9;
  --color-400: #6E98C4;
  --color-500: #4D79A8;
  --color-600: #416081;
  --color-700: #32475C;
  --color-800: #24303D;
  --color-900: #181E26;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F3F7FC',
    100: '#DFEAF6',
    200: '#C1D5EB',
    300: '#96B6D9',
    400: '#6E98C4',
    500: '#4D79A8',
    600: '#416081',
    700: '#32475C',
    800: '#24303D',
    900: '#181E26',
  },
}

$base: #96B9DE;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F7FC;
$base-100: #DFEAF6;
$base-200: #C1D5EB;
$base-300: #96B6D9;
$base-400: #6E98C4;
$base-500: #4D79A8;
$base-600: #416081;
$base-700: #32475C;
$base-800: #24303D;
$base-900: #181E26;
$base-hover: #5E93CC;
$base-subtle: #E2EAF3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#96B9DE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F7FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DFEAF6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C1D5EB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#96B6D9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#6E98C4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4D79A8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#416081",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#32475C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#24303D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#181E26",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}