#B0D0BF · #C2C4E2
Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 41/100 (clashing) · Distinguishable 22/100 (hard to tell apart) · Match 39/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.
Ash and Light Steel Blue are a clear pair (ΔE 28). They have distinctly different hues (88° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.
Ash text on Light Steel Blue: 1.03:1 (Fail); Light Steel Blue text on Ash: 1.03:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #3D594B clears it.
Clashing — awkward hue gap — tends to clash (harmony 41/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.
Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.0:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #3D594B clears AA.
Their CIE76 ΔE is about 28 — a clear pair.
clearly different colours (ΔE 28).
Explore each color: Ash #B0D0BF · Light Steel Blue #C2C4E2 · Shades: Ash shades · Light Steel Blue shades · Contrast checker →