What color is #C9CBFA?

#C9CBFA is a pale, soft blue-violet. In RGB it is rgb(201, 203, 250), and in HSL hsl(238, 83%, 88%).

Is #C9CBFA accessible as text?

On white, #C9CBFA has a contrast ratio of 1.57:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 13.41:1 (passes). For text placed on #C9CBFA, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #C9CBFA?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is indigo-200 (#C6D2FF).

What colors go well with #C9CBFA?

#C9CBFA pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #FAF8C7. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #C9CBFA below.

Is #C9CBFA good for buttons?

#C9CBFA works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #C9CBFA — white text only reaches 1.57:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #C9CBFA the same as CSS thistle?

No — #C9CBFA is not the CSS named color thistle, but thistle (#D8BFD8) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#C9CBFA Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #C9CBFA

Not just a swatch — here's how #C9CBFA works with other colors. Named schemes with #C9CBFA in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #C9CBFA Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7E92A7 Anchor #2E3236

Periwinkle 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 #C9CBFA Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA2 Ink #2C2724

Periwinkle 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 #C9CBFA Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #EAD5BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22334A

Periwinkle 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 #C9CBFA Secondary #F7F9FF Support #9D9088 Ink #18140F

Periwinkle 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 Periwinkle carrying the quiet middle.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #C9CBFA Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6672 Accent #F1F3FF

Periwinkle is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Periwinkle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #C9CBFA 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 38/100

Neutral

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

Softness 75/100

High

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

Depth 14/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 32/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 20/100

Low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 25/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 13/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 67/100

High

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

Print safety 90/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #C9CBFA

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #C9CBFA with

Powder Blue Periwinkle Light Goldenrod Yellow Gainsboro 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 11.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5F5FD for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D6C7FA — 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 #C9CBFA 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: #C9CBFA;
  --color-base-rgb: 201 203 250;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(85.6% 0.065 283.0);
  --color-50: #F0F1FE;
  --color-100: #D9DAFD;
  --color-200: #B4B7F8;
  --color-300: #8286ED;
  --color-400: #5459DE;
  --color-500: #3136C3;
  --color-600: #2D3195;
  --color-700: #262869;
  --color-800: #1C1E44;
  --color-900: #13142A;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  periwinkle: {
    50: '#F0F1FE',
    100: '#D9DAFD',
    200: '#B4B7F8',
    300: '#8286ED',
    400: '#5459DE',
    500: '#3136C3',
    600: '#2D3195',
    700: '#262869',
    800: '#1C1E44',
    900: '#13142A',
  },
}

$base: #C9CBFA;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F0F1FE;
$base-100: #D9DAFD;
$base-200: #B4B7F8;
$base-300: #8286ED;
$base-400: #5459DE;
$base-500: #3136C3;
$base-600: #2D3195;
$base-700: #262869;
$base-800: #1C1E44;
$base-900: #13142A;
$base-hover: #7579F2;
$base-subtle: #F0F0FC;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#C9CBFA",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F0F1FE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#D9DAFD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#B4B7F8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#8286ED",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#5459DE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#3136C3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#2D3195",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#262869",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#1C1E44",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#13142A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #C9CBFA

Color Lab

Pairs with #C9CBFA

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export