What color is #9DCADD?

#9DCADD is a light, soft cyan-blue. In RGB it is rgb(157, 202, 221), and in HSL hsl(198, 48%, 74%).

Is #9DCADD accessible as text?

On white, #9DCADD has a contrast ratio of 1.76:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.93:1 (passes). For text placed on #9DCADD, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9DCADD?

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

What colors go well with #9DCADD?

#9DCADD pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DDB09D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9DCADD below.

Is #9DCADD good for buttons?

#9DCADD works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9DCADD — white text only reaches 1.76:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9DCADD the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

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

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

Palettes built on #9DCADD

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9DCADD Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7B93A5 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 #9DCADD Accent #A6C4BF Surface #DEDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1E344A

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 #9DCADD Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B3B19F Ink #2A2723

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 #9DCADD Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #596672 Accent #C7F1FF

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 #9DCADD Secondary #E3F3F9 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 #9DCADD 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 34/100

Cool

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

Softness 74/100

High

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

Depth 18/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 1/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 30/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 24/100

Low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 21/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 18/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 66/100

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 #9DCADD

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9DCADD with

Seafoam Iceberg Dusty Rose 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 10.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF4F6 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9DB4DD — 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 #9DCADD 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: #9DCADD;
  --color-base-rgb: 157 202 221;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(81.3% 0.054 225.7);
  --color-50: #F3F9FB;
  --color-100: #E0EFF5;
  --color-200: #C3DEEA;
  --color-300: #99C4D7;
  --color-400: #71A9C1;
  --color-500: #508BA5;
  --color-600: #436D7F;
  --color-700: #344F5B;
  --color-800: #25353C;
  --color-900: #182125;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F3F9FB',
    100: '#E0EFF5',
    200: '#C3DEEA',
    300: '#99C4D7',
    400: '#71A9C1',
    500: '#508BA5',
    600: '#436D7F',
    700: '#344F5B',
    800: '#25353C',
    900: '#182125',
  },
}

$base: #9DCADD;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F9FB;
$base-100: #E0EFF5;
$base-200: #C3DEEA;
$base-300: #99C4D7;
$base-400: #71A9C1;
$base-500: #508BA5;
$base-600: #436D7F;
$base-700: #344F5B;
$base-800: #25353C;
$base-900: #182125;
$base-hover: #65ABC9;
$base-subtle: #E4EEF2;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9DCADD",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F9FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E0EFF5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C3DEEA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#99C4D7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#71A9C1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#508BA5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#436D7F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#344F5B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#25353C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#182125",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #9DCADD

Color Lab

Pairs with #9DCADD

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export