Red Color Code: #FF0000, RGB, HSL & CMYK

Red color values

HEX #FF0000

HEX (shorthand) #F00

RGB rgb(255, 0, 0)

HSL hsl(0, 100%, 50%)

HSV 0, 100%, 100%

HWB hwb(0 0% 0%)

CMYK 0%, 100%, 100%, 0%

Decimal 16711680

CSS keyword red

50%HSL lightness (medium)

100%HSL saturation (vivid)

0°Hue angle (red)

0.213Relative luminance

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

What is Red?

Red is one of the named colors defined by the CSS Color specifications (keyword “red”), so every modern browser understands it without a hex code.

Its hue angle of 0° places it in the red part of the color wheel, with 100% saturation (vivid) and 50% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other red colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 60% of them and more saturated than 67% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.213, which makes it a mid-tone color. That is above the 0.179 crossover point at which black and white text have equal contrast, so black text has the advantage. The HEX code can also be written in the shorthand form #F00.

Red counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 50% and its relative luminance is 0.213. Black text reads best on it (5.25:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Red

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Red
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	3.99:1 Limited	Fail	Pass	Fail	Fail
Black text	Sample text	5.25:1 Good	Pass	Pass	Fail	Pass

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

Colors that go with Red

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.

Cyan#00FFFF

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.

≈ Strong Pink#FF0080 ≈ Pumpkin Orange#FF8000

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.

Lime#00FF00 Blue#0000FF

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.

≈ Spring Green#00FF80 ≈ Cerulean Blue#0080FF

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.

Yellow#FFFF00 Cyan#00FFFF Blue#0000FF

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.

#700000#700000

#B80000#B80000

#FF0000#FF0000

#FF4747#FF4747

#FF8F8F#FF8F8F

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 Red

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.

Bright Red#FF000D Red Orange#FD3C06 Vermillion#F4320C Tomato Red#EC2D01 Orange Red#FF4500 Blood Orange#FE4B03 Cherry Red#F7022A Bright Orange#FF5B00

Where to use Red

Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.25:1 contrast with black)
Accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations
Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
Sale banners and urgent call-to-action buttons
Food, sport and event branding
Poster and packaging accents

Red appears in these curated palettes: Red and Black (Red Color Palettes), Pop Art (Vibrant Color Palettes).

Use Red in CSS

:root {
  --color-red: #FF0000;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-red);
  background-color: #FF0000;
  border: 2px solid #FF0000;
}

Questions about Red

What is the HEX code for Red?

Red is #FF0000. The shorthand form #F00 is equivalent.

What is the RGB value of Red?

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

What is the HSL value of Red?

The HSL value of Red is 0°, 100%, 50% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(0, 100%, 50%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Red?

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

Is Red a light or dark color?

Red counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 50% and its relative luminance is 0.213. Black text reads best on it (5.25:1 contrast).

How does Red look with white text?

White text on Red has a contrast ratio of 3.99:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

How does Red look with black text?

Black text on Red has a contrast ratio of 5.25:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Red?

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

Where can Red be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.25:1 contrast with black); accents that need to stand out: call-to-action buttons, charts and illustrations; large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough.

How do I use Red in CSS?

Use color: #FF0000; for text, background-color: #FF0000; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-red: #FF0000; and reuse it with var(--color-red).

About this color page

CSS named color (W3C CSS Color Module). 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.

Red Color Code: #FF0000