Light steel blue

#bcd9ff

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

Light steel blue is a light blue that reads soft. 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 #bcd9ff, ready to copy. Hex, rgb, hsl, hsv, cmyk, cie-lab, xyz, decimal, web safe and the nearest Pantone.

Hex#bcd9ff

RGB188, 217, 255

HSL214, 100%, 87%

HSV214, 26%, 100%

CMYK26%, 15%, 0%, 0%

Lab85.77, -1.35, -21.68

XYZ63.6, 67.54, 104.29

Decimal12376575

Web safe#ccccff

Pantone277 C

Shades of light steel blue

#93c2ff #6aaaff #4093ff #177bff #0066ed #0055c4 #00439a #003171 #001f48 #000d1f

Tints of light steel blue

#c1dcff #c6dfff #cbe1ff #d0e4ff #d5e7ff #d9eaff #deedff #e3efff #e8f2ff #edf5ff

Colors that go with light steel blue

Complementary#ffe2bc Analogous#bcfaff Analogous#c1bcff Triadic#ffbcd9 Triadic#d9ffbc Split complementary#ffc1bc Split complementary#fbffbc

Light steel blue in print

A color this vivid sometimes sits just outside cmyk gamut, so expect a small dip in punch on paper. The cmyk build is 26, 15, 0, 0.

The same color needs a different cmyk build depending on the paper. Here is #bcd9ff on both.

Coated stockgloss or silk, C

26 15 0 0

Ink sits on the surface, so colors stay bright and close to screen.

Uncoated stocknatural or matte, U

28 18 4 6

The stock absorbs ink and gains dot, so it needs a heavier build and reads a touch softer.

This color is saturated enough to sit near the edge of cmyk gamut, so expect a small drop in punch on paper and proof it before a long run.

See how it converts in the rgb to cmyk converter, or readrgb vs cmyk for print andwhat the k in cmyk means.

Light steel blue in css

Copy #bcd9ff straight into your stylesheet.

.background { background-color: #bcd9ff; }
.text { color: #bcd9ff; }
.border { border: 2px solid #bcd9ff; }

How light steel blue looks on light and dark

Sample text on black

Sample text on white

Text on this color

Light steel blue and accessibility

Contrast ratios for #bcd9ff against black and white text, measured to the WCAG standard.

Use black text on this color for readable body copy. To test #bcd9ff against any other color, not just black and white, run the pair through ourcontrast checker for a live WCAG reading.

Light steel blue on a business card, sticker and pattern

A quick look at how #bcd9ff sits on real print products. Start any of these in the maker.

Business card

Sticker

Repeat pattern

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

Turn light steel blue into a seamless pattern

Four patterns built from #bcd9ff and its shades, free at print quality. Click any one to keep editing in the pattern maker.

Arches Signature stripes Gem Shingles

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 #bcd9ff 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. The Pantone value is the closest reference by perceptual color distance and should be treated as a starting point, not a guaranteed match.