What color is #BCB8DE?

#BCB8DE is a light, soft indigo. In RGB it is rgb(188, 184, 222), and in HSL hsl(246, 37%, 80%).

Is #BCB8DE accessible as text?

On white, #BCB8DE has a contrast ratio of 1.90:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.05:1 (passes). For text placed on #BCB8DE, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BCB8DE?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is violet-300 (#C4B4FF).

What colors go well with #BCB8DE?

#BCB8DE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DBDFB9. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BCB8DE below.

Is #BCB8DE good for buttons?

#BCB8DE works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BCB8DE — white text only reaches 1.90:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BCB8DE the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #BCB8DE is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#BCB8DE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BCB8DE

Not just a swatch — here's how #BCB8DE works with other colors. Named schemes with #BCB8DE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #BCB8DE Secondary #AFB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7F92A7 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.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #BCB8DE Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA2 Ink #2C2724

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

Lead #BCB8DE Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22334A

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

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #BCB8DE Secondary #EAE9F7 Support #9D9088 Ink #18140F

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.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #BCB8DE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6672 Accent #E3DFFF

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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BCB8DE 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 42/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 73/100

High

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

Depth 19/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 36/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 26/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 21/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 21/100

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 93/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BCB8DE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BCB8DE with

Gainsboro Thistle Pearl Prussian Blue

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 9.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F3F2F8 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C9B9DF — 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 #BCB8DE at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

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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: #BCB8DE;
  --color-base-rgb: 188 184 222;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.8% 0.053 290.0);
  --color-50: #F5F4FA;
  --color-100: #E4E3F3;
  --color-200: #CAC7E5;
  --color-300: #A4A0CF;
  --color-400: #807AB8;
  --color-500: #605A9B;
  --color-600: #4E4A78;
  --color-700: #3B3856;
  --color-800: #292839;
  --color-900: #1B1A24;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F5F4FA',
    100: '#E4E3F3',
    200: '#CAC7E5',
    300: '#A4A0CF',
    400: '#807AB8',
    500: '#605A9B',
    600: '#4E4A78',
    700: '#3B3856',
    800: '#292839',
    900: '#1B1A24',
  },
}

$base: #BCB8DE;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F4FA;
$base-100: #E4E3F3;
$base-200: #CAC7E5;
$base-300: #A4A0CF;
$base-400: #807AB8;
$base-500: #605A9B;
$base-600: #4E4A78;
$base-700: #3B3856;
$base-800: #292839;
$base-900: #1B1A24;
$base-hover: #8881C5;
$base-subtle: #ECEBF4;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BCB8DE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F4FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E4E3F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CAC7E5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A4A0CF",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#807AB8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#605A9B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4E4A78",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3B3856",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#292839",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1A24",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}