#AE251F Hex Color
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#ae251f is a dark, strongly saturated red with warm brown undertones and a serious, forceful presence. Its intensity suits calls to action, sports branding, food packaging, and emergency interfaces, but it can feel heavy across large backgrounds. Pair it with warm ivory or charcoal, and use white text for its 6.8:1 contrast ratio. The hex code is #ae251f.
Questions about #ae251f
What is #ae251f in RGB, HSL and CMYK?
In RGB, #ae251f is rgb(174, 37, 31), in HSL hsl(3, 70%, 40%) and in CMYK 0%, 79%, 82%, 32%.
Which colors pair well with #ae251f?
Warm ivory softens #ae251f, while charcoal creates a grounded palette; muted sage or terracotta can add an earthy accent without competing with its saturated red in supporting details or secondary elements.
Does #ae251f read as a warm or cool red?
#ae251f reads as a warm red because its strong red base carries subtle brown undertones, giving it more earthiness than blue-based crimson or cherry reds in most modern design contexts.
Where can #ae251f work well in a design?
#ae251f works well for calls to action, sports branding, food packaging, and emergency interfaces where a serious, forceful red needs attention without taking over the entire visual field or layout. Use it selectively on large surfaces because its saturation can feel heavy.
Is #ae251f readable on white or black?
#ae251f has a 6.80:1 contrast ratio on white and 3.08:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works for body text and on black it works only for large text (24px, or 18.5px bold). Try other pairs in the contrast checker.