Cardinal
An intense and saturated vivid red
Cardinal is an intense, saturated red that demands immediate attention. Because of its high chroma, it works best as a punchy accent rather than a background color. Pair this shade with slate grays or muted creams to ground its natural energy. White text maintains excellent readability over #c41e3a, making the hex code a reliable choice for call-to-action buttons or alert icons.
About Cardinal
Pomegranate split open on a white counter
What does cardinal mean?
Cardinal often signals passion, celebration, warning, and team spirit, since deep reds commonly carry ideas of energy and urgency. Its heavy saturation and medium darkness make it feel dense and confident, warm without tipping into bright or aggressive.
Where you see cardinal
- pomegranate seeds
- cardinal feathers
- raspberries
- lipstick
- velvet theater curtains
- cherries
What it works for
Cardinal works well for bold accents, packaging, sports identity, and call-to-action buttons that need weight without shouting.
What colors go with cardinal?
Forest Green #154406The deep green cools the red's heat and grounds it, like holly leaves against winter berries.Mustard #ffdb58Mustard shares its warmth but stays soft, so the red keeps center stage.Navy #000080Navy's darkness matches this red's weight, giving a rich, classic pairing with real contrast.Cream #fffdd0Cream softens the saturation and gives the red room to breathe without diluting it.
Questions about Cardinal
What is the hex code for Cardinal?
Cardinal is #c41e3a. In RGB that is rgb(196, 30, 58), in HSL hsl(350, 73%, 44%) and in CMYK 0%, 85%, 70%, 23%.
How do I best use #c41e3a in a UI design?
Cardinal #c41e3a works best as a high-impact accent color for call-to-action buttons, error states, or alert icons where you need to draw the eye immediately. Avoid using it for large background surfaces as its high saturation can quickly overwhelm a user.
Is Cardinal readable on white or black?
Cardinal has a 5.84:1 contrast ratio on white and 3.59:1 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.