What color is #9CB6D8?

#9CB6D8 is a light, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(156, 182, 216), and in HSL hsl(214, 43%, 73%).

Is #9CB6D8 accessible as text?

On white, #9CB6D8 has a contrast ratio of 2.08:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.10:1 (passes). For text placed on #9CB6D8, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9CB6D8?

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

What colors go well with #9CB6D8?

#9CB6D8 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #D8BE9D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9CB6D8 below.

Is #9CB6D8 good for buttons?

#9CB6D8 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9CB6D8 — white text only reaches 2.08:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9CB6D8 the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #9CB6D8 is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#9CB6D8 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #9CB6D8

Not just a swatch — here's how #9CB6D8 works with other colors. Named schemes with #9CB6D8 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9CB6D8 Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7D93A6 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 #9CB6D8 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 #9CB6D8 Surface #EBEADC 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 #9CB6D8 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #C4DDFC

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 #9CB6D8 Secondary #D8E2EE Support #9D8F89 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.

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Color Lab

How #9CB6D8 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 35/100

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 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 34/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 29/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 22/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 28/100

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 88/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9CB6D8

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9CB6D8 with

Powder Blue 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 8.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF1F5 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9DA2D8 — 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 #9CB6D8 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: #9CB6D8;
  --color-base-rgb: 156 182 216;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(76.8% 0.057 255.2);
  --color-50: #F4F7FB;
  --color-100: #E1E9F4;
  --color-200: #C5D4E8;
  --color-300: #9CB4D3;
  --color-400: #7594BD;
  --color-500: #5575A0;
  --color-600: #465D7C;
  --color-700: #364559;
  --color-800: #262F3B;
  --color-900: #191E24;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F4F7FB',
    100: '#E1E9F4',
    200: '#C5D4E8',
    300: '#9CB4D3',
    400: '#7594BD',
    500: '#5575A0',
    600: '#465D7C',
    700: '#364559',
    800: '#262F3B',
    900: '#191E24',
  },
}

$base: #9CB6D8;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F7FB;
$base-100: #E1E9F4;
$base-200: #C5D4E8;
$base-300: #9CB4D3;
$base-400: #7594BD;
$base-500: #5575A0;
$base-600: #465D7C;
$base-700: #364559;
$base-800: #262F3B;
$base-900: #191E24;
$base-hover: #678FC3;
$base-subtle: #E4E9F1;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9CB6D8",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F7FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E1E9F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C5D4E8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9CB4D3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#7594BD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#5575A0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#465D7C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#364559",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#262F3B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#191E24",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}