What color is #9CBCC9?

#9CBCC9 is a light, muted cyan-blue. In RGB it is rgb(156, 188, 201), and in HSL hsl(197, 29%, 70%).

Is #9CBCC9 accessible as text?

On white, #9CBCC9 has a contrast ratio of 2.01:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.45:1 (passes). For text placed on #9CBCC9, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9CBCC9?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is mist-400 (#9CA8AB).

What colors go well with #9CBCC9?

#9CBCC9 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #C9A99C. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9CBCC9 below.

Is #9CBCC9 good for buttons?

#9CBCC9 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9CBCC9 — white text only reaches 2.01:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9CBCC9 the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #9CBCC9 is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#9CBCC9 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #9CBCC9

Not just a swatch — here's how #9CBCC9 works with other colors. Named schemes with #9CBCC9 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9CBCC9 Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7B93A5 Anchor #2E3236

Ash Gray 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 #9CBCC9 Accent #A6C4BF Surface #DEDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1E344A

Ash Gray 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 #9CBCC9 Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B3B19F Ink #2A2723

Ash Gray 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 #9CBCC9 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #596672 Accent #C5E2EE

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #9CBCC9 Secondary #DAE5EA Support #969386 Ink #16140F

Ash Gray 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 Ash Gray carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #9CBCC9 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 38/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 73/100

High

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

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 1/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 29/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 28/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 15/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 23/100

Low

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

Surface fit 67/100

High

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

Print safety 90/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9CBCC9

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9CBCC9 with

Light Blue Cadet Grey Khaki Platinum 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 9.2:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF1F3 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9CADC9 — 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 #9CBCC9 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: #9CBCC9;
  --color-base-rgb: 156 188 201;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(77.6% 0.039 224.4);
  --color-50: #F5F8FA;
  --color-100: #E4EDF1;
  --color-200: #CADBE2;
  --color-300: #A5C0CA;
  --color-400: #81A3B1;
  --color-500: #618594;
  --color-600: #4F6973;
  --color-700: #3C4C53;
  --color-800: #293337;
  --color-900: #1B2023;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  ash-gray: {
    50: '#F5F8FA',
    100: '#E4EDF1',
    200: '#CADBE2',
    300: '#A5C0CA',
    400: '#81A3B1',
    500: '#618594',
    600: '#4F6973',
    700: '#3C4C53',
    800: '#293337',
    900: '#1B2023',
  },
}

$base: #9CBCC9;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F8FA;
$base-100: #E4EDF1;
$base-200: #CADBE2;
$base-300: #A5C0CA;
$base-400: #81A3B1;
$base-500: #618594;
$base-600: #4F6973;
$base-700: #3C4C53;
$base-800: #293337;
$base-900: #1B2023;
$base-hover: #6E9DAF;
$base-subtle: #E3EAED;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9CBCC9",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F8FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E4EDF1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CADBE2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A5C0CA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#81A3B1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#618594",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4F6973",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3C4C53",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#293337",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B2023",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}