Red
Online color picker to view shades, tints, color codes, and complementary colors
Red draws the most attention, and is linked to strong emotions like anger, passion, and love. It is universally used to signify courage, power, strength, and danger. The hex code for red is #ff0000. Learn more about what colors make red.
About Red
A fire alarm on a clean white wall
What does red mean?
Red commonly signals urgency, passion, danger, and celebration, from stop signs and warning labels to roses and holiday decor. Full saturation and no softness give it a hot, forward push that fills space fast and never sits back.
Where you see red
- fire hydrants
- stop signs
- ripe tomatoes
- ladybugs
- wax seals
- chili peppers
What it works for
Use it when a design must stop people mid-scroll, but keep it to accents so it stays sharp instead of shouting.
What colors go with red?
Blush #de5d83The pale pink cools the heat and gives the red room to breathe.Midnight Blue #020035Dark blue holds the red down and lets it glow like a neon sign.Cream #fffdd0Cream softens the glare without dulling the color's punch.Forest Green #154406Deep green sits opposite red on the wheel, so both intensify.Mustard #ffdb58Mustard pulls the red toward warmth, like peppers at a market stall.
Questions about Red
What is the hex code for Red?
Red is #ff0000. In RGB that is rgb(255, 0, 0), in HSL hsl(0, 100%, 50%) and in CMYK 0%, 100%, 100%, 0%.
Is Red readable on white or black?
Red has a 3.99:1 contrast ratio on white and 5.25:1 on black. WCAG asks for 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, so on white it works only for large text (24px, or 18.5px bold) and on black it works for body text. Try other pairs in the contrast checker.