What color is #9FBCD5?

#9FBCD5 is a light, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(159, 188, 213), and in HSL hsl(208, 39%, 73%).

Is #9FBCD5 accessible as text?

On white, #9FBCD5 has a contrast ratio of 1.98:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.63:1 (passes). For text placed on #9FBCD5, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #9FBCD5?

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

What colors go well with #9FBCD5?

#9FBCD5 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #D5B89F. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #9FBCD5 below.

Is #9FBCD5 good for buttons?

#9FBCD5 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #9FBCD5 — white text only reaches 1.98:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #9FBCD5 the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #9FBCD5 is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#9FBCD5 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #9FBCD5

Not just a swatch — here's how #9FBCD5 works with other colors. Named schemes with #9FBCD5 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #9FBCD5 Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7C93A6 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 #9FBCD5 Accent #A5C4C0 Surface #DEDBBF Secondary #9AA0A0 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 #9FBCD5 Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B2B2A0 Ink #2A2823

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 #9FBCD5 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #C8E2FA

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 #9FBCD5 Secondary #DCE7F0 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.

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Color Lab

How #9FBCD5 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 36/100

Cool

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

Softness 72/100

High

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

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 31/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 27/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 18/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 23/100

Low

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

Surface fit 65/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 89/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #9FBCD5

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #9FBCD5 with

Powder Blue Wisteria Tan 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 9.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #EDF1F5 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #9FAAD5 — 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 #9FBCD5 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: #9FBCD5;
  --color-base-rgb: 159 188 213;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(78.2% 0.048 244.5);
  --color-50: #F4F8FB;
  --color-100: #E2EBF3;
  --color-200: #C6D7E6;
  --color-300: #9EB9D1;
  --color-400: #799BB9;
  --color-500: #587D9D;
  --color-600: #496379;
  --color-700: #384857;
  --color-800: #27313A;
  --color-900: #191F24;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F4F8FB',
    100: '#E2EBF3',
    200: '#C6D7E6',
    300: '#9EB9D1',
    400: '#799BB9',
    500: '#587D9D',
    600: '#496379',
    700: '#384857',
    800: '#27313A',
    900: '#191F24',
  },
}

$base: #9FBCD5;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F8FB;
$base-100: #E2EBF3;
$base-200: #C6D7E6;
$base-300: #9EB9D1;
$base-400: #799BB9;
$base-500: #587D9D;
$base-600: #496379;
$base-700: #384857;
$base-800: #27313A;
$base-900: #191F24;
$base-hover: #6C98BE;
$base-subtle: #E4EBF0;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#9FBCD5",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F8FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E2EBF3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C6D7E6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9EB9D1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#799BB9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#587D9D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#496379",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#384857",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#27313A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#191F24",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}