Terracotta Color Code: #CA6641, RGB & HSL

Terracotta color values

HEX #CA6641

RGB rgb(202, 102, 65)

HSL hsl(16, 56%, 52%)

HSV 16, 68%, 79%

HWB hwb(16 25% 21%)

CMYK 0%, 50%, 68%, 21%

Decimal 13264449

52%HSL lightness (medium)

56%HSL saturation (rich)

16°Hue angle (orange)

0.224Relative luminance

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

What is Terracotta?

“Terracotta” 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 16° places it in the orange part of the color wheel, with 56% saturation (rich) and 52% lightness (medium). It is a warm color.

Compared with the other brown colors in the Aqeeb Studio library, it is lighter than 66% of them and more saturated than 39% of them.

Its relative luminance is 0.224, 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.

Terracotta counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 52% and its relative luminance is 0.224. Black text reads best on it (5.48:1 contrast).

Text contrast on Terracotta

WCAG contrast of white and black text on Terracotta
Text	Preview	Ratio	AA normal	AA large	AAA normal	AAA large
White text	Sample text	3.82:1 Limited	Fail	Pass	Fail	Fail
Black text	Sample text	5.48:1 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 Terracotta

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.

≈ Teal Blue#41A5CA

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.

≈ Deep Rose#CA4160 ≈ Dark Gold#CAAB41

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.

≈ Algae Green#41CA66 ≈ Warm Blue#6641CA

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.

≈ Medium Aquamarine#41CAAB ≈ Royal Blue#4160CA

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 Green#A5CA41 ≈ Teal Blue#41A5CA ≈ Warm Blue#6641CA

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.

#612E1B#612E1B

#99482B#99482B

#CA6641#CA6641

#DA9379#DA9379

#E9C0B1#E9C0B1

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 Terracotta

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.

Adobe#BD6C48 Dark Peach#DE7E5D Copper#B66325 Sienna#A0522D Clay#B66A50 Burnt Sienna#B04E0F Clay Brown#B2713D Burnt Umber#A0450E

Where to use Terracotta

Card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.48:1 contrast with black)
Large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough
Packaging and craft-style layouts
Warm neutrals alongside cream and green
Borders, wood-like textures and illustrations
Earthy, natural palettes

Use Terracotta in CSS

:root {
  --color-terracotta: #CA6641;
}

.element {
  color: var(--color-terracotta);
  background-color: #CA6641;
  border: 2px solid #CA6641;
}

Questions about Terracotta

What is the HEX code for Terracotta?

Terracotta is #CA6641.

What is the RGB value of Terracotta?

The RGB value of Terracotta is 202, 102, 65: 202 red, 102 green and 65 blue on a 0–255 scale, written rgb(202, 102, 65) in CSS.

What is the HSL value of Terracotta?

The HSL value of Terracotta is 16°, 56%, 52% (hue, saturation, lightness), written hsl(16, 56%, 52%) in CSS.

What is the CMYK value of Terracotta?

A standard conversion gives about C 0%, M 50%, Y 68%, K 21%. Real print results depend on the inks, paper and color profile, so treat CMYK here as a reference value.

Is Terracotta a light or dark color?

Terracotta counts as a light color: its HSL lightness is 52% and its relative luminance is 0.224. Black text reads best on it (5.48:1 contrast).

How does Terracotta look with white text?

White text on Terracotta has a contrast ratio of 3.82:1, rated Limited. It does not reach WCAG AA for normal text; use large text only.

How does Terracotta look with black text?

Black text on Terracotta has a contrast ratio of 5.48:1, rated Good. It meets WCAG AA for normal text.

What colors go well with Terracotta?

Teal Blue is its complementary color, and Deep Rose sits beside it as an analogous color. Lighter and darker variants of the same hue also work well for monochromatic palettes.

Where can Terracotta be used?

It suits card, highlight and section backgrounds with dark text (5.48:1 contrast with black); large headings, icons and graphics, where a 3:1 contrast ratio is enough; packaging and craft-style layouts.

How do I use Terracotta in CSS?

Use color: #CA6641; for text, background-color: #CA6641; for fills, or define a custom property such as --color-terracotta: #CA6641; and reuse it with var(--color-terracotta).

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.

Terracotta Color Code: #CA6641