What color is #CBDDE8?

#CBDDE8 is a pale low-chroma blue-gray with a subtle blue cast. In RGB it is rgb(203, 221, 232), and in HSL hsl(203, 39%, 85%).

Is #CBDDE8 accessible as text?

On white, #CBDDE8 has a contrast ratio of 1.40:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 15.05:1 (passes). For text placed on #CBDDE8, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CBDDE8?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is slate-300 (#CAD5E2).

What colors go well with #CBDDE8?

As a neutral, #CBDDE8 pairs cleanly with charcoal, near-black and dark grays for text, and sits under accent hues like blue, violet, emerald or warm orange — use it as a soft background and let the accent carry the color.

Is #CBDDE8 the same as CSS gainsboro?

No — #CBDDE8 is not the CSS named color gainsboro, but gainsboro (#DCDCDC) is the closest CSS named color.

#CBDDE8 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CBDDE8

Not just a swatch — here's how #CBDDE8 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CBDDE8 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #CBDDE8 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 #CBDDE8 Accent #A6C4C0 Surface #DEDABF Secondary #9AA0A0 Anchor #1F344A

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 #CBDDE8 Surface #ECEADC Highlight #F4F2E7 Secondary #B3B2A0 Ink #2A2723

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 #CBDDE8 Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5A6672 Accent #ECFDFF

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 #CBDDE8 Secondary #F5FBFF Support #969386 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 #CBDDE8 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 85/100

Very high

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

Depth 11/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 19/100

Very low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 16/100

Very low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 9/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 6/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 82/100

Very 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 #CBDDE8

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CBDDE8 with

Platinum Periwinkle Bone 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 13.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F5F8F9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CAD2E8 — 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 #CBDDE8 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: #CBDDE8;
  --color-base-rgb: 203 221 232;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(88.7% 0.025 234.5);
  --color-50: #F4F8FB;
  --color-100: #E2EDF3;
  --color-200: #C6DAE6;
  --color-300: #9EBDD1;
  --color-400: #79A1B9;
  --color-500: #58829D;
  --color-600: #496779;
  --color-700: #384B57;
  --color-800: #27333A;
  --color-900: #192024;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  gainsboro: {
    50: '#F4F8FB',
    100: '#E2EDF3',
    200: '#C6DAE6',
    300: '#9EBDD1',
    400: '#79A1B9',
    500: '#58829D',
    600: '#496779',
    700: '#384B57',
    800: '#27333A',
    900: '#192024',
  },
}

$base: #CBDDE8;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F4F8FB;
$base-100: #E2EDF3;
$base-200: #C6DAE6;
$base-300: #9EBDD1;
$base-400: #79A1B9;
$base-500: #58829D;
$base-600: #496779;
$base-700: #384B57;
$base-800: #27333A;
$base-900: #192024;
$base-hover: #8EB5CD;
$base-subtle: #F0F4F7;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CBDDE8",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F4F8FB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E2EDF3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#C6DAE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#9EBDD1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#79A1B9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#58829D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#496779",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#384B57",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#27333A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#192024",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CBDDE8

Color Lab

Pairs with #CBDDE8

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export