What color is #9DBEEF?

#9DBEEF is a light, vivid blue. In RGB it is rgb(157, 190, 239), and in HSL hsl(216, 72%, 78%).

Is #9DBEEF accessible as text?

On white, #9DBEEF has a contrast ratio of 1.90:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.05:1 (passes). For text placed on #9DBEEF, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9DBEEF?

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

What colors go well with #9DBEEF?

#9DBEEF pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #EFCF9F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9DBEEF below.

Is #9DBEEF good for buttons?

#9DBEEF works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9DBEEF — white text only reaches 1.90:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9DBEEF the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

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

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

Palettes built on #9DBEEF

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9DBEEF 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 #9DBEEF 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 #9DBEEF Surface #EBEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B1B2A0 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 #9DBEEF Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #C6E5FF

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 #9DBEEF Secondary #DEEAFC 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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #9DBEEF 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 68/100

High

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

Depth 20/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 37/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 27/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 30/100

Low

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 25/100

Low

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

Surface fit 57/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 84/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9DBEEF

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9DBEEF with

Pale Turquoise 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 9.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EEF3FA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9FA4EF — 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 #9DBEEF 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: #9DBEEF;
  --color-base-rgb: 157 190 239;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.5% 0.079 258.1);
  --color-50: #F1F6FD;
  --color-100: #DBE7FA;
  --color-200: #B9D0F3;
  --color-300: #89AEE6;
  --color-400: #5D8DD5;
  --color-500: #3B6EBA;
  --color-600: #34588E;
  --color-700: #2A4264;
  --color-800: #1F2D42;
  --color-900: #151D28;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F1F6FD',
    100: '#DBE7FA',
    200: '#B9D0F3',
    300: '#89AEE6',
    400: '#5D8DD5',
    500: '#3B6EBA',
    600: '#34588E',
    700: '#2A4264',
    800: '#1F2D42',
    900: '#151D28',
  },
}

$base: #9DBEEF;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F1F6FD;
$base-100: #DBE7FA;
$base-200: #B9D0F3;
$base-300: #89AEE6;
$base-400: #5D8DD5;
$base-500: #3B6EBA;
$base-600: #34588E;
$base-700: #2A4264;
$base-800: #1F2D42;
$base-900: #151D28;
$base-hover: #5A91E4;
$base-subtle: #E5ECF7;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9DBEEF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F1F6FD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DBE7FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#B9D0F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#89AEE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#5D8DD5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#3B6EBA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#34588E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#2A4264",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#1F2D42",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#151D28",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}