Nearest named color: Baby Blue
#96D5ED
#96D5ED
Nearest named
Baby Blue
Family
Blue
Lightness
83.9%
Chroma
0.072
Hue angle
223.7°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
1.61:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
11.53:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#99CCFF
CSS oklch()
84% 0.07 224

#96D5ED is a soft, cool blue. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered. It holds up as a large surface and is too pale to lead as a primary accent.

Palettes built on #96D5ED

Not just a swatch — here's how #96D5ED works with other colors. Named schemes with #96D5ED in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Baby 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

Baby 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

Baby 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

Baby 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 Baby Blue.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Baby 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 Baby Blue carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #96D5ED 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 29/100
Cool
Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.
Softness 73/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 16/100
Very low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 1/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 31/100
Low
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 22/100
Low
Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.
Brand distinctiveness 28/100
Low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
UI accent fit 16/100
Very low
Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.
Surface fit 63/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 81/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #96D5ED

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #96D5ED with

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 11.5:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #EDF5F9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #96B8ED — 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 #96D5ED 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

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #96D5ED;
  --color-base-rgb: 150 213 237;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(83.9% 0.072 223.7);
  --color-50: #F1FAFD;
  --color-100: #DBF1FA;
  --color-200: #B9E3F3;
  --color-300: #8ACBE5;
  --color-400: #5EB2D4;
  --color-500: #3C95B9;
  --color-600: #35748D;
  --color-700: #2B5464;
  --color-800: #1F3842;
  --color-900: #152328;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}