Light steel blue

#a3a6df

Hex, rgb, cmyk and Pantone values for light steel blue, with shades, tints, matching colors and free print quality patterns.

This is Light steel blue, a soft blue at 237 degrees. Light blues like this feel trustworthy, common in finance and software. Warm oranges and ambers opposite it add energy and grey keeps it professional.

Light steel blue color values

Every conversion for #a3a6df, ready to copy. Hex, rgb, hsl, hsv, cmyk, cie-lab, xyz, decimal, web safe and the nearest Pantone.

Hex#a3a6df
RGB163, 166, 223
HSL237, 48%, 76%
HSV237, 27%, 87%
CMYK27%, 26%, 0%, 13%
Lab69.74, 11.43, -29.1
XYZ42.06, 40.39, 75.39
Decimal10725087
Web safe#9999cc
Pantone2716 C
Pantone2716 CHex#a3a6dfRgb163 166 223Cmyk27 26 0 13Lab70 11 -29Darker#3f45b4Deep#6e73cdLighter#d9daf0

Shades of light steel blue

Tints of light steel blue

Colors that go with light steel blue

Light steel blue in print

It converts to cmyk cleanly and holds its character from screen to paper. The cmyk build is 27, 26, 0, 13.

The same color needs a different cmyk build depending on the paper. Here is #a3a6df on both.

Coated stockgloss or silk, C
27 26 0 13
Ink sits on the surface, so colors stay bright and close to screen.
Uncoated stocknatural or matte, U
29 28 4 19
The stock absorbs ink and gains dot, so it needs a heavier build and reads a touch softer.

This color converts to cmyk comfortably and should hold on press.

See how it converts in the rgb to cmyk converter, or read rgb vs cmyk for print and what the k in cmyk means.

Light steel blue in css

Copy #a3a6df straight into your stylesheet.

.background { background-color: #a3a6df; }
.text { color: #a3a6df; }
.border { border: 2px solid #a3a6df; }

How light steel blue looks on light and dark

Light steel blue and accessibility

Contrast ratios for #a3a6df against black and white text, measured to the WCAG standard.

Textwhite text on this color
2.31:1
AA fail · AA large fail · AAA fail
Textblack text on this color
9.08:1
AA pass · AA large pass · AAA pass

Use black text on this color for readable body copy. To test #a3a6df against any other color, not just black and white, run the pair through our contrast checker for a live WCAG reading.

Light steel blue on a business card, sticker and pattern

A quick look at how #a3a6df sits on real print products. Start any of these in the maker.

Your nameFounderhello@brand.comBusiness card
Sticker
Repeat pattern

Building a full palette around light steel blue? Pull matching colors from any photo with the color palette generator, or check a design for print with the rgb to cmyk converter.

Turn light steel blue into a seamless pattern

Four patterns built from #a3a6df and its shades, free at print quality. Click any one to keep editing in the pattern maker.

Make posters, wallpaper and packaging art from light steel blue, free and print ready.

Open in pattern maker

How we calculate these values

Every value on this page for #a3a6df is computed, not guessed. We convert from sRGB to each space with the standard formulas, so the codes match what design tools show. The coated and uncoated cmyk builds differ because uncoated stock absorbs more ink and gains dot, so the same color needs a heavier, slightly duller build on press. For Pantone we return the nearest reference by perceptual distance, which gets you close but is not a substitute for a physical swatch book.