#87CDEDBelow Zero (#87CDED) is a light, soft sky blue with an OKLCH hue of 229°, lightness 0.81 and chroma 0.083. It sits on the cool side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #87CDED |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(135, 205, 237) |
| HSL | hsl(199, 74%, 73%) |
| HSV | hsv(199, 43%, 93%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(43%, 14%, 0%, 7%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(79 -13.8 -22.7) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.813 0.083 229) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Below Zero shifts subtly: leans toward blue-green, loses intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 2.3), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#95c9de — ΔE 2.3, shifts subtly: leans toward blue-green, loses intensity#90cee8 — ΔE 1.2, shifts subtly: leans toward blue-green#87cded — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#86cef0 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Below Zero in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 1.75:1 and against black 11.99:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.
One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.
#e2f5ff · #87cded · #6bacc9 · #4b859f · #2b6077 · #0a3e51
The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.
#aaebeb · #95ddec · #87cded · #85b5dd · #839dc9 · #7f87b2
The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.
#87cded · #9da0bd · #548da6 · #5e6196 · #1c5268 · #2d2e48
One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.
#d5e9f3 · #87cded · #cb9071 · #628494 · #456371 · #30444d
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#87cded · #aca49f · #6a767c · #4a4441 · #121e23 · #050201
This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.
#faefea · #d4c8c2 · #ab9d96 · #37271f · #140601 · #87cded
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#dddfba · #87cded · #ed5e4b · #5a6baa · #4d303e · #020e29
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#87cded · #b4a198 · #976464 · #5d3f00 · #36090e · #100600
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#87cded · #b2a0a8 · #92647a · #4a4802 · #1e1d00 · #050002
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#87cded · #ada1b0 · #85678d · #693618 · #072300 · #140300
#98D4F1 · #A8DCF4 · #B7E3F8 · #C7EAFB · #D7F1FF
#69A8C4 · #4C849D · #306278 · #144255 · #002433
#95CBE4 · #A3C9DB · #AFC6D2
Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.