What color is #C9DDF3?

#C9DDF3 is a pale, soft blue. In RGB it is rgb(201, 221, 243), and in HSL hsl(211, 64%, 87%).

Is #C9DDF3 accessible as text?

On white, #C9DDF3 has a contrast ratio of 1.39:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.12:1 (passes). For text placed on #C9DDF3, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #C9DDF3?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is blue-200 (#BEDBFF).

What colors go well with #C9DDF3?

#C9DDF3 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #F3DFC9. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #C9DDF3 below.

Is #C9DDF3 good for buttons?

#C9DDF3 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #C9DDF3 — white text only reaches 1.39:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #C9DDF3 the same as CSS gainsboro?

No — #C9DDF3 is not the CSS named color gainsboro, but gainsboro (#DCDCDC) 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.

#C9DDF3 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #C9DDF3

Not just a swatch — here's how #C9DDF3 works with other colors. Named schemes with #C9DDF3 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #C9DDF3 Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7C93A6 Anchor #2E3236

Gainsboro keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #C9DDF3 Accent #A5C4C1 Surface #DDDBBF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #20344A

Gainsboro opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #C9DDF3 Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B2B2A0 Ink #2C2724

Gainsboro 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.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #C9DDF3 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #EAFCFF

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F6F4EF Accent #C9DDF3 Secondary #F4FBFF Support #959386 Ink #16140F

Gainsboro 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 Gainsboro carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #C9DDF3 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 40/100

Neutral

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

Softness 83/100

Very high

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

Depth 10/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 22/100

Low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 16/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 14/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 7/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 78/100

High

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

Print safety 92/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #C9DDF3

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #C9DDF3 with

Pale Turquoise Periwinkle Almond Gainsboro Charcoal

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 13.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5F8FB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C9CFF3 — 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 #C9DDF3 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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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: #C9DDF3;
  --color-base-rgb: 201 221 243;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(89.0% 0.037 250.8);
  --color-50: #F2F7FD;
  --color-100: #DDEAF8;
  --color-200: #BCD5F0;
  --color-300: #8EB6E1;
  --color-400: #6497CE;
  --color-500: #4279B3;
  --color-600: #396089;
  --color-700: #2E4761;
  --color-800: #213040;
  --color-900: #161E27;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F2F7FD',
    100: '#DDEAF8',
    200: '#BCD5F0',
    300: '#8EB6E1',
    400: '#6497CE',
    500: '#4279B3',
    600: '#396089',
    700: '#2E4761',
    800: '#213040',
    900: '#161E27',
  },
}

$base: #C9DDF3;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F2F7FD;
$base-100: #DDEAF8;
$base-200: #BCD5F0;
$base-300: #8EB6E1;
$base-400: #6497CE;
$base-500: #4279B3;
$base-600: #396089;
$base-700: #2E4761;
$base-800: #213040;
$base-900: #161E27;
$base-hover: #80B0E3;
$base-subtle: #F0F5FA;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#C9DDF3",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F2F7FD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#DDEAF8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#BCD5F0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#8EB6E1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#6497CE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#4279B3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#396089",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#2E4761",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#213040",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#161E27",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #C9DDF3

Color Lab

Pairs with #C9DDF3

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export