#BEC9D6

Color Profile: #BEC9D6

Subject: Arts & Entertainment / Visual Art & Design

Common Name: Lavender Grey / Soft Steel Blue

Core Specs

HEX: #BEC9D6

RGB: 190, 201, 214

HSL: ~212°, ~23%, ~79%

Approx. CMYK (process): ~11, ~6, ~0, ~16

Accessibility & Contrast

On White (#FFFFFF): ~1.7:1 — AA: fail (use for large areas, not body text)

On Black (#000000): ~12.5:1 — AA/AAA: pass for all text sizes

Tip: For light-on-light layouts, add a darker outline or drop the lightness ~10–15% to meet AA.

Vibe Check

This is a calm, low-saturation blue-grey that plays nice with minimal grids and editorial white space. It reads polished, a touch techy, and never bossy. Think “quiet confidence” for dashboards, portfolios, and packaging that wants trust without the corporate glaze.

Close Named Matches (notable picks)

NCS 1950 Index S 1510-R80B — #BEC9D5 (ΔE≈0.53) near-perfect hit
Pantone FHI 13-4111 TCX Plein Air — #BFCAD6 (ΔE≈0.63) studio-friendly twin
PPG 1165-3 Northern Exposure — #BFC7D4 (ΔE≈1.15) spec-friendly
Pantone 537 C — #C0C8D6 (ΔE≈1.20) print shop staple
Behr UL240-14 Melody — #BDCCD9 (ΔE≈1.58) retail-accessible

Note: ΔE values ~<2 are typically indistinguishable at a glance; verify under your target lighting.

Why Designers Use It

• UI/UX & dashboards: Low-chroma blues are frictionless backgrounds for dense data. #BEC9D6 holds component boundaries (tables, cards, toolbars) without stealing focus from primary actions or alerts.
• Branding for trust: Healthcare, fintech, education, and SaaS lean on cool greys to signal stability and care. This shade pairs cleanly with navy anchors, charcoal type, and a single bold accent (teal, coral, or chartreuse).
• Editorial & museum graphics: Works as a “paper sky” field behind black serif headlines. It softens high-contrast spreads and helps photography—especially skin tones—feel more natural than stark white.
• Packaging & materials: On matte stocks or powder-coated metal, it reads premium and modern (think consumer electronics housings, accessories, and shelving). The color originated visually from steel/sky cues—easy to map to aluminum anodizing and soft-touch coatings.
• Motion & 3D: As an environment light or fog tint, it adds depth without color-casting assets. Great for product turntables and hero animations when you want neutrality with a cool edge.
• Trend fit: Sits with ongoing “calm tech” palettes—Scandi interiors, minimal web themes, and accessibility-first design systems. It’s not flashy; it’s the reliable rhythm section that makes bolder accents sing.

Pairing & Practical Notes

Type: Use near-black (#111) or pure black for body copy; reserve white text for larger headings or over darkened overlays.

Accents: Sharp with deep navy (~#1E2A38), ink charcoal (~#2A2F36), and a single bright hit like electric teal (~#00B7A8) or vermilion (~#E34234).

Dev handoff: Document HSL for theming; nudging lightness (L) ±5% is usually enough to tune contrast across components without redefining palettes.