What color is #9DCDDD?

#9DCDDD is a light, soft cyan. In RGB it is rgb(157, 205, 221), and in HSL hsl(195, 48%, 74%).

Is #9DCDDD accessible as text?

On white, #9DCDDD has a contrast ratio of 1.72:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 12.21:1 (passes). For text placed on #9DCDDD, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9DCDDD?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is sky-300 (#74D4FF).

What colors go well with #9DCDDD?

#9DCDDD pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DDAD9D. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9DCDDD below.

Is #9DCDDD good for buttons?

#9DCDDD works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9DCDDD — white text only reaches 1.72:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9DCDDD the same as CSS skyblue?

No — #9DCDDD is not the CSS named color skyblue, but skyblue (#87CEEB) is the closest CSS named color.

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

Palettes built on #9DCDDD

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

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

Sky 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 #9DCDDD Accent #A6C4BF Surface #DFDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1E354A

Sky 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 #9DCDDD Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B3B19F Ink #2A2723

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.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #9DCDDD Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #596672 Accent #C8F4FF

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.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #9DCDDD Secondary #E4F5FB Support #969386 Ink #16140F

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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #9DCDDD 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 17/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 1/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 29/100

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 17/100

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 85/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9DCDDD

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9DCDDD with

Seafoam Iceberg Dusty Rose Platinum Dark Slate Gray

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 10.8:1. Use

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

Avoid beside #9DB7DD — 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 #9DCDDD 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: #9DCDDD;
  --color-base-rgb: 157 205 221;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(82.0% 0.055 220.3);
  --color-50: #F3F9FB;
  --color-100: #E0F0F5;
  --color-200: #C3E0EA;
  --color-300: #99C7D7;
  --color-400: #71ADC1;
  --color-500: #5090A5;
  --color-600: #43707F;
  --color-700: #34515B;
  --color-800: #25363C;
  --color-900: #182225;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  sky-blue: {
    50: '#F3F9FB',
    100: '#E0F0F5',
    200: '#C3E0EA',
    300: '#99C7D7',
    400: '#71ADC1',
    500: '#5090A5',
    600: '#43707F',
    700: '#34515B',
    800: '#25363C',
    900: '#182225',
  },
}

$base: #9DCDDD;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F9FB;
$base-100: #E0F0F5;
$base-200: #C3E0EA;
$base-300: #99C7D7;
$base-400: #71ADC1;
$base-500: #5090A5;
$base-600: #43707F;
$base-700: #34515B;
$base-800: #25363C;
$base-900: #182225;
$base-hover: #65B0C9;
$base-subtle: #E4EFF2;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9DCDDD",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F9FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E0F0F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C3E0EA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#99C7D7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#71ADC1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#5090A5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#43707F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#34515B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#25363C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#182225",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #9DCDDD

Color Lab

Pairs with #9DCDDD

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export