Nearest named color: Sky Blue
#9DCDCD
#9DCDCD
Nearest named
Sky Blue
Family
Blue
Lightness
81.5%
Chroma
0.050
Hue angle
196.2°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
1.74:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
10.66:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#99CCCC
CSS oklch()
81% 0.05 196

#9DCDCD is a muted, cool cyan-blue. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered, restrained and easy to live with. It holds up as a large surface and is too pale to lead as a primary accent.

Palettes built on #9DCDCD

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Sky Blue keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Sky 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.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Sky Blue opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Sky 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 Sky Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Sky 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 Sky Blue.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #9DCDCD 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
Cool
Reads cool and recessive — calming, technical, good for trust-led UI.
Softness 75/100
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 9/100
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 19/100
Very 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 67/100
High
Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.
Print safety 87/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9DCDCD

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #9DCDCD with

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 10.7:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #EDF4F4 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #9DBDCD — 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 #9DCDCD 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

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #9DCDCD;
  --color-base-rgb: 157 205 205;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(81.5% 0.050 196.2);
  --color-50: #F5FAFA;
  --color-100: #E4F2F2;
  --color-200: #C9E3E3;
  --color-300: #A3CCCC;
  --color-400: #7FB3B3;
  --color-500: #5E9797;
  --color-600: #4D7575;
  --color-700: #3A5454;
  --color-800: #293838;
  --color-900: #1A2323;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}