What color is #CBCEE9?

#CBCEE9 is a pale, soft blue-violet. In RGB it is rgb(203, 206, 233), and in HSL hsl(234, 41%, 85%).

Is #CBCEE9 accessible as text?

On white, #CBCEE9 has a contrast ratio of 1.55:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 13.54:1 (passes). For text placed on #CBCEE9, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CBCEE9?

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

What colors go well with #CBCEE9?

#CBCEE9 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #E8E5C9. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CBCEE9 below.

Is #CBCEE9 good for buttons?

#CBCEE9 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #CBCEE9 — white text only reaches 1.55:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CBCEE9 the same as CSS lightgray?

No — #CBCEE9 is not the CSS named color lightgray, but lightgray (#D3D3D3) 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.

#CBCEE9 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CBCEE9

Not just a swatch — here's how #CBCEE9 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CBCEE9 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #CBCEE9 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 #CBCEE9 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 #CBCEE9 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 #CBCEE9 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 #CBCEE9 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6672 Accent #F3F6FF

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 #CBCEE9 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 80/100

Very 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 26/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 19/100

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 10/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 75/100

High

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

Print safety 94/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CBCEE9

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CBCEE9 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 12.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5F6FA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #D0C9E8 — 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 #CBCEE9 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: #CBCEE9;
  --color-base-rgb: 203 206 233;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(85.8% 0.037 280.5);
  --color-50: #F4F5FB;
  --color-100: #E2E4F3;
  --color-200: #C6C9E7;
  --color-300: #9DA2D2;
  --color-400: #777EBB;
  --color-500: #565E9E;
  --color-600: #474C7A;
  --color-700: #373A58;
  --color-800: #27293A;
  --color-900: #191A24;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  periwinkle: {
    50: '#F4F5FB',
    100: '#E2E4F3',
    200: '#C6C9E7',
    300: '#9DA2D2',
    400: '#777EBB',
    500: '#565E9E',
    600: '#474C7A',
    700: '#373A58',
    800: '#27293A',
    900: '#191A24',
  },
}

$base: #CBCEE9;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F5FB;
$base-100: #E2E4F3;
$base-200: #C6C9E7;
$base-300: #9DA2D2;
$base-400: #777EBB;
$base-500: #565E9E;
$base-600: #474C7A;
$base-700: #373A58;
$base-800: #27293A;
$base-900: #191A24;
$base-hover: #8C93CF;
$base-subtle: #F0F1F7;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CBCEE9",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F5FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E2E4F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C6C9E7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9DA2D2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#777EBB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#565E9E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#474C7A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#373A58",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#27293A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#191A24",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CBCEE9

Color Lab

Pairs with #CBCEE9

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export