What color is #C9CDEE?

#C9CDEE is a pale, soft blue-violet. In RGB it is rgb(201, 205, 238), and in HSL hsl(234, 52%, 86%).

Is #C9CDEE accessible as text?

On white, #C9CDEE has a contrast ratio of 1.56:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 13.45:1 (passes). For text placed on #C9CDEE, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #C9CDEE?

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

What colors go well with #C9CDEE?

#C9CDEE pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #EEEAC9. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #C9CDEE below.

Is #C9CDEE good for buttons?

#C9CDEE works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #C9CDEE — white text only reaches 1.56:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #C9CDEE the same as CSS thistle?

No — #C9CDEE 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.

#C9CDEE Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #C9CDEE

Not just a swatch — here's how #C9CDEE works with other colors. Named schemes with #C9CDEE in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #C9CDEE 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 #C9CDEE 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 #C9CDEE Accent #A5C4C2 Surface #EAD5BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22344A

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 #C9CDEE Secondary #F8F9FF 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 #C9CDEE Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6672 Accent #F1F5FF

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 #C9CDEE 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 41/100

Neutral

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

Softness 79/100

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 28/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 20/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 18/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 11/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 72/100

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 #C9CDEE

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #C9CDEE with

Gainsboro Periwinkle Champagne 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 #F5F6FB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D1C9EE — 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 #C9CDEE 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

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #C9CDEE;
  --color-base-rgb: 201 205 238;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(85.6% 0.046 279.9);
  --color-50: #F3F4FC;
  --color-100: #DFE2F6;
  --color-200: #C1C5EB;
  --color-300: #969DD9;
  --color-400: #6E77C4;
  --color-500: #4D56A8;
  --color-600: #414781;
  --color-700: #32375C;
  --color-800: #24263D;
  --color-900: #181926;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  periwinkle: {
    50: '#F3F4FC',
    100: '#DFE2F6',
    200: '#C1C5EB',
    300: '#969DD9',
    400: '#6E77C4',
    500: '#4D56A8',
    600: '#414781',
    700: '#32375C',
    800: '#24263D',
    900: '#181926',
  },
}

$base: #C9CDEE;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F3F4FC;
$base-100: #DFE2F6;
$base-200: #C1C5EB;
$base-300: #969DD9;
$base-400: #6E77C4;
$base-500: #4D56A8;
$base-600: #414781;
$base-700: #32375C;
$base-800: #24263D;
$base-900: #181926;
$base-hover: #868ED9;
$base-subtle: #F0F1F9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#C9CDEE",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F3F4FC",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DFE2F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C1C5EB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#969DD9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#6E77C4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4D56A8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#414781",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#32375C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#24263D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#181926",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #C9CDEE

Color Lab

Pairs with #C9CDEE

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export