Red

HEX: #FF0000 | Modern Palette

On White
4.00:1
FAIL
On Black
5.25:1
PASS

Color Specifications

HEX
#FF0000
RGB
255, 0, 0
HSL
0°, 100% ,50%
CMYK
0, 100, 100, 0

About Red

Red (#FF0000) is a color with RGB(255, 0, 0) and HSL(0°, 100%, 50%). It is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold moods. In design, it fits Vivid, Warm styles and is suitable for Text, Button, Accent. Its complementary color is Cyan (#00FFFF), which creates strong contrast. Its triadic palette includes Green (#00FF00) and Blue (#0000FF). The name comes from *h₁rewdʰ- (Proto-Indo-European).

  • HEX: #FF0000
  • RGB: 255, 0, 0
  • HSL: 0°, 100%, 50%
  • Mood: Energetic, Bold
  • Style: Vivid, Warm
  • Use case: Text, Button, Accent
  • Complementary color: Cyan (#00FFFF)
  • Triadic colors: Green (#00FF00), Blue (#0000FF)
  • The name comes from *h₁rewdʰ- (Proto-Indo-European).

Live Components

LIGHT
DARK
System Notification Box

Color Palettes

Red #FF0000 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.
 
CRIMSON RED
RED
 
 
Neutral + Accent Four near-neutral tones grounded by a saturated accent — clean and versatile for UI.
 
 
RED
 
 
Analogous Five hues drifting across a 60° arc — naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 
 
RED
 
 
3 + 1 + 1 Three analogous base colors, one complementary accent, one dark anchor — bold yet balanced.
 
 
 
CYAN
 

Color Harmonies

Red #FF0000 pairs with Cyan (#00FFFF) as its complementary color, and Green (#00FF00) and Blue (#0000FF) 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.

RED
CYAN
Analogous

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

RED
Triadic

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

RED
GREEN
BLUE
Split-Complementary

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

RED
Tetradic (Square)

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

RED
CYAN
Monochromatic

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

RED
LIGHT SALMON PINK

Shades & Tints

The shade and tint range for Red #FF0000 moves from dark #1A0000 tones through the base color to lighter #FFE6E6 tones, making it useful for depth, hierarchy, and background variation.

RED

Color Characteristics

Mood
Energetic Bold
Style
Vivid Warm
Use case
Text Button Accent

Accessibility Simulation

Deuteranopia #939300
Protanopia #5D5D0E
Tritanopia #FF0000
Achromatopsia #7F7F7F

Frequently Asked Questions

Red (#FF0000) is a color with RGB(255, 0, 0) and HSL(0°, 100%, 50%).

#FF0000 pairs strongly with Cyan (#00FFFF) as its complementary color. It can also be used with neutral tones for balanced UI and design layouts.

#FF0000 is suitable for Text, Button, Accent and works well with Vivid, Warm styles.

#FF0000 is commonly associated with Energetic, Bold.

The name Red is linked to *h₁rewdʰ- from Proto-Indo-European, meaning red, ruddy.

Name, History & Etymology

Origin Word *h₁rewdʰ-
Meaning red, ruddy
Language Proto-Indo-European
First Recorded Use Prehistoric

History

The word 'red' has cognates across numerous Indo-European languages, reflecting its ancient origin. Examples include Latin 'ruber', Greek 'erythros', Sanskrit 'rudhira', German 'rot', and Russian 'krasny' (though 'krasny' also means beautiful, showing a semantic shift). Historically, red pigments were among the first used by humans, derived from ochre and later from minerals like cinnabar and organic sources like madder root and cochineal. It has consistently been a color of strong symbolic meaning across cultures and throughout history.

First Recorded Use

The concept and word for 'red' are among the oldest and most fundamental in human language, dating back to Proto-Indo-European and earlier. Its use in art and pigments is evident from the Upper Paleolithic period (e.g., cave paintings).

Similar Named Colors
Candy Apple Red #FF0800 ΔE 0.27
Red (RYB) #FE2712 ΔE 1.72
Scarlet #FF2400 ΔE 1.95
Ferrari Red #FF2800 ΔE 2.34

Code Snippets

/* Background */
.element {
    background-color: #FF0000;
}

/* Text */
.element {
    color: #FF0000;
}

/* Border */
.element {
    border: 1px solid #FF0000;
}

/* Linear gradient to complementary */
.element {
    background: linear-gradient(
        to right,
        #FF0000,
        #00FFFF
    );
}

/* Radial gradient */
.element {
    background: radial-gradient(
        circle,
        #FF0000,
        #00FFFF
    );
}

// SCSS variable
$red: #FF0000;

// With RGB channels (useful for rgba() usage)
$red-r: 255;
$red-g: 0;
$red-b: 0;

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