Merlot Color Code: #730039, RGB, HSL & CMYK

Merlot color values

HEX #730039

RGB rgb(115, 0, 57)

HSL hsl(330, 100%, 23%)

HSV 330, 100%, 45%

HWB hwb(330 0% 55%)

CMYK 0%, 100%, 50%, 55%

Decimal 7536697

23%HSL lightness (dark)

100%HSL saturation (vivid)

330°Hue angle (rose)

0.039Relative luminance

CMYK is a standard screen-to-print conversion. Printed results depend on inks, paper and color profiles.

What is Merlot?

“Merlot” is a crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey, in which participants typed names for colors they were shown. It is a popular everyday label rather than an official standard.

Its hue angle of 330° places it in the rose part of the color wheel, with 100% saturation (vivid) and 23% lightness (dark). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other red colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 10% of them and more saturated than 67% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.039, which makes it a dark color. That is below the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so white text has the advantage.

Merlot counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 23% and its relative luminance is 0.039. White text reads comfortably on it (11.74:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Merlot

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Merlot
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	11.74:1 Excellent	Pass	Pass	Pass	Pass
Black text	Sample text	1.78:1 Poor	Fail	Fail	Fail	Fail

Ratios use the WCAG 2 formula and are truncated, never rounded up. Test any pair with the contrast checker.

Colors that go with Merlot

Complementary color

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They give the strongest hue contrast, which suits calls to action and accents.

≈ Jungle Green#00733A

Analogous colors

Analogous colors are neighbors on the wheel, 30° either side of the base hue. They blend smoothly and are easy to combine in backgrounds, gradients and illustrations.

≈ Purple#730073 ≈ Blood#730000

Triadic colors

A triadic scheme uses three hues spaced 120° apart. It is lively yet balanced, and works best when one color leads and the other two act as accents.

≈ Dark Grass Green#397300 ≈ Twilight Blue#003973

Split-complementary colors

Split-complementary keeps the base color and uses the two colors on either side of its complement (150° and 210°). The contrast is strong but gentler than a direct complement.

≈ Tree Green#007300 ≈ Deep Turquoise#007373

Tetradic colors

A tetradic (rectangle) scheme combines two complementary pairs at 0°, 60°, 180° and 240°. It offers variety but needs one dominant color to stay balanced.

≈ Saddle Brown#733A00 ≈ Jungle Green#00733A ≈ Twilight Blue#003973

Monochromatic variants

Monochromatic variants keep the same hue and saturation and only change lightness, which makes them dependable for UI scales and subtle layered designs.

#1F000F#1F000F

#660033#660033

#AD0056#AD0056

#F50079#F50079

#FF3D9D#FF3D9D

A “≈” before a name means the exact harmony color has no named match, so the link goes to the closest named color.

Tints and shades of Merlot

Lighter tints (mixed with white)

Darker shades (mixed with black)

Select any swatch to copy its HEX code. Build longer scales with the tints and shades tool.

Wine#80013F Red Purple#820747 Mulberry#920A4E Burgundy#610023 Bordeaux#7B002C Berry#990F4B Velvet#750851 Purple Red#990147

Where to use Merlot

Button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (11.74:1 contrast)
Error and alert states (paired with an icon or label, never color alone)
Sale banners and urgent call-to-action buttons
Food, sport and event branding
Poster and packaging accents

Use Merlot in CSS

:root {
  --color-merlot: #730039;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-merlot);
  background-color: #730039;
  border: 2px solid #730039;
}

Questions about Merlot

What is the HEX code for Merlot?

Merlot is #730039.

What is the RGB value of Merlot?

The RGB value of Merlot is 115, 0, 57: 115 red, 0 green and 57 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(115, 0, 57) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Merlot?

The HSL value of Merlot is 330°, 100%, 23% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(330, 100%, 23%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Merlot?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 100%, Y 50%, K 55%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Merlot a light or dark color?

Merlot counts as a dark color: its HSL lightness is 23% and its relative luminance is 0.039. White text reads comfortably on it (11.74:1 contrast).

How does Merlot look with white text?

White text on Merlot has a contrast ratio of 11.74:1, rated Excellent. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

How does Merlot look with black text?

Black text on Merlot has a contrast ratio of 1.78:1, rated Poor. It falls below the WCAG minimum for text.

What colors go well with Merlot?

Jungle Green is its complementary color, and Purple sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Merlot be used?

It suits button, banner and badge backgrounds with white text (11.74:1 contrast); error and alert states (paired with an icon or label, never color alone); sale banners and urgent call-to-action buttons.

How do I use Merlot in CSS?

Use color: #730039; for text, background-color: #730039; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-merlot: #730039; and reuse it with var(--color-merlot).

About this color page

Crowd-sourced name from the XKCD Color Survey (CC0). Values are calculated from the HEX code; color names are labels, not trademarks or standards unless stated. Screens render colors differently, so always check important colors on your own device. See the disclaimer.

Merlot Color Code: #730039