What color is #BDB7DA?

#BDB7DA is a light, muted indigo. In RGB it is rgb(189, 183, 218), and in HSL hsl(250, 32%, 79%).

Is #BDB7DA accessible as text?

On white, #BDB7DA has a contrast ratio of 1.92:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.95:1 (passes). For text placed on #BDB7DA, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BDB7DA?

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

What colors go well with #BDB7DA?

#BDB7DA pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #D5DBB8. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BDB7DA below.

Is #BDB7DA good for buttons?

#BDB7DA works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BDB7DA — white text only reaches 1.92:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BDB7DA the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #BDB7DA is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

#BDB7DA Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BDB7DA

Not just a swatch — here's how #BDB7DA works with other colors. Named schemes with #BDB7DA in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #BDB7DA 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 #BDB7DA Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA1 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 #BDB7DA Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #E9D6BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #23334A

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 #BDB7DA Secondary #EAE8F5 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.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #BDB7DA Surface #F5E5D7 Anchor #5C2141 Accent #E5C2C8 Secondary #332B2F

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 #BDB7DA 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 43/100

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 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 35/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 26/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

Very 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 66/100

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 #BDB7DA

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BDB7DA with

Gainsboro Thistle Bone 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 9.7:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F3F2F7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C9B8DB — 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 #BDB7DA 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: #BDB7DA;
  --color-base-rgb: 189 183 218;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.6% 0.049 293.1);
  --color-50: #F6F5FA;
  --color-100: #E6E4F2;
  --color-200: #CEC9E3;
  --color-300: #AAA3CC;
  --color-400: #877FB3;
  --color-500: #685E97;
  --color-600: #544D75;
  --color-700: #3F3A54;
  --color-800: #2B2938;
  --color-900: #1C1A23;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F6F5FA',
    100: '#E6E4F2',
    200: '#CEC9E3',
    300: '#AAA3CC',
    400: '#877FB3',
    500: '#685E97',
    600: '#544D75',
    700: '#3F3A54',
    800: '#2B2938',
    900: '#1C1A23',
  },
}

$base: #BDB7DA;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F6F5FA;
$base-100: #E6E4F2;
$base-200: #CEC9E3;
$base-300: #AAA3CC;
$base-400: #877FB3;
$base-500: #685E97;
$base-600: #544D75;
$base-700: #3F3A54;
$base-800: #2B2938;
$base-900: #1C1A23;
$base-hover: #8D83BF;
$base-subtle: #ECEBF3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BDB7DA",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F6F5FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E6E4F2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CEC9E3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#AAA3CC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#877FB3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#685E97",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#544D75",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3F3A54",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2B2938",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1C1A23",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #BDB7DA

Color Lab

Pairs with #BDB7DA

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export