What color is #9DB3DA?

#9DB3DA is a light, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(157, 179, 218), and in HSL hsl(218, 45%, 74%).

Is #9DB3DA accessible as text?

On white, #9DB3DA has a contrast ratio of 2.12:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 9.89:1 (passes). For text placed on #9DB3DA, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9DB3DA?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is indigo-300 (#A3B3FF).

What colors go well with #9DB3DA?

#9DB3DA pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DBC59F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9DB3DA below.

Is #9DB3DA good for buttons?

#9DB3DA works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9DB3DA — white text only reaches 2.12:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9DB3DA the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #9DB3DA is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#9DB3DA Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #9DB3DA

Not just a swatch — here's how #9DB3DA works with other colors. Named schemes with #9DB3DA in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9DB3DA 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 #9DB3DA Accent #A5C4C1 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #21344A

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 #9DB3DA Surface #EBEADD Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #BEACA2 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 #9DB3DA Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #C5DAFE

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 #F8F4EF Accent #9DB3DA Secondary #D7E0EE Support #9D8F88 Ink #18140F

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 #9DB3DA 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 69/100

High

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

Depth 23/100

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 30/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 24/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 30/100

Low

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 59/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 88/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9DB3DA

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9DB3DA with

Powder Blue Wisteria Desert Sand 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 8.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF1F6 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9FA1DB — 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 #9DB3DA 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: #9DB3DA;
  --color-base-rgb: 157 179 218;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(76.4% 0.061 261.8);
  --color-50: #F4F6FB;
  --color-100: #E1E8F4;
  --color-200: #C4D1E8;
  --color-300: #9BB0D5;
  --color-400: #748FBE;
  --color-500: #5370A2;
  --color-600: #45597D;
  --color-700: #35435A;
  --color-800: #262E3B;
  --color-900: #191D25;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F4F6FB',
    100: '#E1E8F4',
    200: '#C4D1E8',
    300: '#9BB0D5',
    400: '#748FBE',
    500: '#5370A2',
    600: '#45597D',
    700: '#35435A',
    800: '#262E3B',
    900: '#191D25',
  },
}

$base: #9DB3DA;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F6FB;
$base-100: #E1E8F4;
$base-200: #C4D1E8;
$base-300: #9BB0D5;
$base-400: #748FBE;
$base-500: #5370A2;
$base-600: #45597D;
$base-700: #35435A;
$base-800: #262E3B;
$base-900: #191D25;
$base-hover: #688AC6;
$base-subtle: #E4E9F2;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9DB3DA",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F6FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E1E8F4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C4D1E8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9BB0D5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#748FBE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#5370A2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#45597D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#35435A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#262E3B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#191D25",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}