Blue color · XKCD survey name
Light Gray Blue Color Code: #9DBCD4
Light Gray Blue is a medium-light, soft azure color with the hexadecimal value #9DBCD4. In RGB it is 157, 188, 212 and in HSL it is 206°, 39%, 72%. Black text reads best on it (10.57:1 contrast).
Also spelled “Light Grey Blue”.
Light Gray Blue color values
#9DBCD4
rgb(157, 188, 212)
hsl(206, 39%, 72%)
206, 26%, 83%
hwb(206 62% 17%)
26%, 11%, 0%, 17%
10337492
CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.
What is Light Gray Blue?
“Light Gray Blue” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.
Its hue angle of 206° places it in the azure part of the color wheel, with 39% saturation (soft) and 72% lightness (medium-light). It is a cool color.
Compared with the other blue colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 82% of them and more saturated than 12% of them.
Its relative luminance is 0.479, which makes it a light color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage.
Light Gray Blue counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 72% and its relative luminance is 0.479. Black text reads best on it (10.57:1 contrast).
Text contrast on Light Gray Blue
| Text | Preview | Ratio | AA normal | AA large | AAA normal | AAA large |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text | Sample text | 1.98:1 Poor | Fail | Fail | Fail | Fail |
| Black text | Sample text | 10.57:1 Excellent | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.
Colors that go with Light Gray Blue
Complementary color
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.
Triadic colors
A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.
Split-complementary colors
Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.
Tetradic colors
A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.
Monochromatic variants
Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.
A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.
Tints and shades of Light Gray Blue
Lighter tints (mixed with white)
Darker shades (mixed with black)
Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.
Similar colors
Where to use Light Gray Blue
- Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (10.57:1 contrast with black)
- Corporate, finance and software branding
- Headers and navigation bars
- Charts and dashboards
- Links, buttons and primary interface accents
Use Light Gray Blue in CSS
:root {
--color-light-gray-blue: #9DBCD4;
}
.element {
color: var(--color-light-gray-blue);
background-color: #9DBCD4;
border: 2px solid #9DBCD4;
}Questions about Light Gray Blue
What is the HEX code for Light Gray Blue?
Light Gray Blue is #9DBCD4.
What is the RGB value of Light Gray Blue?
The RGB value of Light Gray Blue is 157, 188, 212: 157 red, 188 green and 212 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(157, 188, 212) in CSS.
What is the HSL value of Light Gray Blue?
The HSL value of Light Gray Blue is 206°, 39%, 72% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(206, 39%, 72%) in CSS.
What is the CMYK value of Light Gray Blue?
A standard conversion gives about C 26%, M 11%, Y 0%, K 17%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.
Is Light Gray Blue a light or dark color?
Light Gray Blue counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 72% and its relative luminance is 0.479. Black text reads best on it (10.57:1 contrast).
How does Light Gray Blue look with white text?
White text on Light Gray Blue has a contrast ratio of 1.98:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.
How does Light Gray Blue look with black text?
Black text on Light Gray Blue has a contrast ratio of 10.57:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.
What colors go well with Light Gray Blue?
Tan is its complementary color, and Powder Blue sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.
Where can Light Gray Blue be used?
It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (10.57:1 contrast with black); corporate, finance and software branding; headers and navigation bars.
How do I use Light Gray Blue in CSS?
Use color: #9DBCD4; for text, background-color: #9DBCD4; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-light-gray-blue: #9DBCD4; and reuse it with var(--color-light-gray-blue).
About this color page
Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.