What color is #9BBDDF?

#9BBDDF is a light, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(155, 189, 223), and in HSL hsl(210, 52%, 74%).

Is #9BBDDF accessible as text?

On white, #9BBDDF has a contrast ratio of 1.96:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.74:1 (passes). For text placed on #9BBDDF, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9BBDDF?

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

What colors go well with #9BBDDF?

#9BBDDF pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DFBD9A. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9BBDDF below.

Is #9BBDDF good for buttons?

#9BBDDF works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9BBDDF — white text only reaches 1.96:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9BBDDF the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #9BBDDF is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#9BBDDF Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #9BBDDF

Not just a swatch — here's how #9BBDDF works with other colors. Named schemes with #9BBDDF in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9BBDDF 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 #9BBDDF 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 #9BBDDF 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 #9BBDDF Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #C4E4FF

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 #9BBDDF Secondary #DCE8F4 Support #969386 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 #9BBDDF 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 33/100

Cool

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

Softness 70/100

High

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

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 34/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 27/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 24/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 25/100

Low

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

Surface fit 61/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 86/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9BBDDF

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9BBDDF with

Pale Turquoise Wisteria 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 9.5:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF2F7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9AA6DF — 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 #9BBDDF 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: #9BBDDF;
  --color-base-rgb: 155 189 223;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(78.5% 0.061 248.6);
  --color-50: #F3F7FC;
  --color-100: #DFEBF6;
  --color-200: #C1D6EB;
  --color-300: #96B8D9;
  --color-400: #6E99C4;
  --color-500: #4D7AA8;
  --color-600: #416181;
  --color-700: #32475C;
  --color-800: #24303D;
  --color-900: #181F26;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F3F7FC',
    100: '#DFEBF6',
    200: '#C1D6EB',
    300: '#96B8D9',
    400: '#6E99C4',
    500: '#4D7AA8',
    600: '#416181',
    700: '#32475C',
    800: '#24303D',
    900: '#181F26',
  },
}

$base: #9BBDDF;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F7FC;
$base-100: #DFEBF6;
$base-200: #C1D6EB;
$base-300: #96B8D9;
$base-400: #6E99C4;
$base-500: #4D7AA8;
$base-600: #416181;
$base-700: #32475C;
$base-800: #24303D;
$base-900: #181F26;
$base-hover: #6197CD;
$base-subtle: #E3EBF3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9BBDDF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F7FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DFEBF6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C1D6EB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#96B8D9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#6E99C4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4D7AA8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#416181",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#32475C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#24303D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#181F26",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}