Cardinal

HEX: #C41E3A | Modern Palette

On White
5.84:1
PASS
On Black
3.59:1
FAIL

Color Specifications

HEX
#C41E3A
RGB
196, 30, 58
HSL
349°, 73% ,44%
CMYK
0, 85, 70, 23

About Cardinal

Cardinal (#C41E3A) is a color with RGB(196, 30, 58) and HSL(349.9°, 73.5%, 44.3%). It is commonly associated with Energetic, Romantic moods. In design, it fits Vivid, Warm styles and is suitable for Text, Button, Accent. Its complementary color is #1EC4A8, which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes #3AC41E and #1E3AC4. The name comes from cardinalis (Latin).

  • HEX: #C41E3A
  • RGB: 196, 30, 58
  • HSL: 349.9°, 73.5%, 44.3%
  • Mood: Energetic, Romantic
  • Style: Vivid, Warm
  • Use case: Text, Button, Accent
  • Complementary color: #1EC4A8
  • Triadic colors: #3AC41E, #1E3AC4
  • The name comes from cardinalis (Latin).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Cardinal #C41E3A is used in Monochromatic, Neutral + Accent, Analogous, 3 + 1 + 1 palettes, giving designers ready-made combinations for backgrounds, surfaces, accents, and interface elements.

Monochromatic Five tones of the same hue — a reliable scale for backgrounds, surfaces, and text.
 
 
CARDINAL
 
 
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
 
 
CARDINAL
 
 
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 
 
CARDINAL
 
 
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.
 
 
 
 
 

Color Harmonies

Cardinal #C41E3A pairs with #1EC4A8 as its complementary color, and #3AC41E and #1E3AC4 in triadic combinations. These harmony relationships help create balanced color combinations for UI, branding, and design work.

Complementary

The color directly opposite on the color wheel — creates maximum contrast and vibrance.

CARDINAL
Analogous

Colors adjacent on the wheel — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

CARDINAL
Triadic

Three colors equally spaced 120° apart — bold, balanced, and visually rich.

CARDINAL
Split-Complementary

Two colors flanking the complement — high contrast with less tension than full complementary.

CARDINAL
Tetradic (Square)

Four colors at 90° intervals — rich variety, best when one color dominates.

CARDINAL
Monochromatic

Shades and tints of the same hue — cohesive, elegant, and easy to work with.

CARDINAL

Shades & Tints

The shade and tint range for Cardinal #C41E3A moves from dark #160307 tones through the base color to lighter #FCE9EC tones, making it useful for depth, hierarchy, and background variation.

CARDINAL

Color Characteristics

Mood
Energetic Romantic
Style
Vivid Warm
Use case
Text Button Accent

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #727231
Protanopia #4C4C3C
Tritanopia #C32323
Achromatopsia #656565

Frequently Asked Questions

Cardinal (#C41E3A) is a color with RGB(196, 30, 58) and HSL(349.9°, 73.5%, 44.3%).

#C41E3A pairs strongly with #1EC4A8 as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#C41E3A is suitable for Text, Button, Accent and works well with Vivid, Warm styles.

#C41E3A is commonly associated with Energetic, Romantic.

The name Cardinal is linked to cardinalis from Latin, meaning pertaining to a hinge, principal, chief.

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word cardinalis
Meaning pertaining to a hinge, principal, chief
Language Latin
First Recorded Use Late Middle English

History

The word 'cardinal' derives from the Latin 'cardinalis', an adjective meaning 'pertaining to a hinge' or 'principal, chief'. This sense of 'principal' or 'fundamental' is key to its various applications. In the ecclesiastical sense, a Cardinal (of the Roman Catholic Church) was originally a priest of a principal church in Rome, or a bishop of one of the suburban sees. The color red became associated with cardinals as a symbol of their willingness to shed blood for Christ and the Church. The bird 'cardinal' (specifically the Northern Cardinal) was named for the male's brilliant red plumage, reminiscent of the robes worn by cardinals of the church. The color 'cardinal red' or simply 'cardinal' as a color name directly refers to this specific shade of red.

First Recorded Use

late 14th century

Cultural Associations

The color 'Cardinal' (#c41e3a) is a deep, vivid red. It is strongly associated with the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the vestments of cardinals. Beyond its religious connotations, it is a popular color in sports, often used by teams whose mascots are the cardinal bird (e.g., St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, Arizona Cardinals football team). It conveys a sense of importance, vibrancy, and sometimes passion or power due to its historical and ecclesiastical associations.

Similar Named Colors
Red (NCS) #C40233 ΔE 1.74
Vivid Crimson #CC0033 ΔE 1.98
Crimson Glory #BE0032 ΔE 2.62
Utah Crimson #D3003F ΔE 2.89

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #C41E3A;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #C41E3A;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #C41E3A;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #C41E3A,
        #1EC4A8
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #C41E3A,
        #1EC4A8
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$cardinal: #C41E3A;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$cardinal-r: 196;
$cardinal-g: 30;
$cardinal-b: 58;

// Usage
.element {
    background-color: $cardinal;
    color: rgba($cardinal-r, $cardinal-g, $cardinal-b, 0.8);
}