Nearest named color: Light Steel Blue
#BCB5EC
#BCB5EC
Nearest named
Light Steel Blue
Family
Blue
Lightness
79.8%
Chroma
0.077
Hue angle
290.4°
Temperature
Cool
Contrast on white
1.92:1 · Fail
Contrast on black
9.70:1 · AAA
Web-safe
#CCCCFF
CSS oklch()
80% 0.08 290

#BCB5EC is a soft, cool purple. On the Color Lab it reads clean and engineered. It is too pale to lead as a primary accent and reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #BCB5EC

Not just a swatch — here's how #BCB5EC works with other colors. Named schemes with #BCB5EC in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Light Steel 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

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.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Light Steel 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

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.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Light Steel Blue sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BCB5EC 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 39/100
Neutral
Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.
Softness 69/100
High
Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.
Depth 20/100
Very low
Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.
Naturalness 0/100
Very low
Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.
Vintage feel 41/100
Moderate
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 27/100
Low
Understated — leans refined without going austere.
Brand distinctiveness 30/100
Low
Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.
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 89/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BCB5EC

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #BCB5EC 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 9.7:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #F3F2FA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #CFB6EC — 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 #BCB5EC at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI
Northwind Sign up
Build faster.
A working theme, generated in seconds.
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: #BCB5EC;
  --color-base-rgb: 188 181 236;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.8% 0.077 290.4);
  --color-50: #F4F2FC;
  --color-100: #E1DEF7;
  --color-200: #C5BEEE;
  --color-300: #9C92DE;
  --color-400: #7568CA;
  --color-500: #5446AE;
  --color-600: #463C86;
  --color-700: #36305F;
  --color-800: #26223F;
  --color-900: #191727;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}