Color #4E221C Color / Colour Code #4E221C
This page shows the hex color code for color #4e221c (#4E221C). The colour is a red tone with 47% saturation and 21% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #4E221C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#4E221C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 337, 7, and 37 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 7, 127, and 247 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #4E221C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 7 and saturation at 47%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 7 to 52 degrees create a warm, unified palette. This analogous scheme works for marketing materials, seasonal campaigns, and any design that needs visual warmth without clashing colors.
Combines the base color at hue 7 with its complement at 187 and two adjacent cool tones. This split-complementary approach provides strong visual contrast while remaining more balanced than a pure complementary scheme.
Five evenly spaced hues at 40% saturation and 80% lightness. Pastels are gentle on the eyes and work well for dashboards, onboarding screens, category tags, and any interface where multiple distinct colors are needed without visual aggression.
Shades & Tints of #4E221C
Lightness variations at hue 7 and 47% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #4E221C
Design Use Cases for #4E221C
Balanced UI Color
At 47% saturation, #4E221C strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Deep Accent & Text Color
#4E221C at 21% lightness is dark enough for readable body text on light backgrounds while retaining its red character. Use for headings, emphasized text, or deep accent borders. It provides contrast without the harshness of pure black.
Urgency & Energy Signaling
#4E221C falls in the red spectrum (hue 7). Red triggers urgency and excitement, making it effective for sale badges, countdown timers, error messages, and "limited time" labels. In data visualization, use it to flag negative values or critical thresholds.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #4E221C (hue 7) to its complement at hue 187. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 37. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #4e221c, #1c494f);
CSS Code for #4E221C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #4E221C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #4E221C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #4E221C (#4E221C)
#4E221C is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 78 red, 34 green, and 28 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 7 degrees with 47% saturation and 21% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #4E221C is 46/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This appears dark to the human eye, so pair it with light text for adequate readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 56% magenta, 64% yellow, and 69% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #4E221C against white is 13.38:1 and against black is 1.57:1. This exceeds the AAA requirement (7:1) for normal text on white, making it excellent for body text and small UI labels on light backgrounds.
The complementary colour #1C494F creates maximum visual tension when paired with #4E221C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #4F1C30 and #4F3B1C, which sit 30 degrees on either side of the hue wheel. To build a complete design system, start with the monochromatic scale above for consistent shade variations, then add one complementary or triadic accent for interactive elements.
How to Explore Color #4E221C
- Enter your color value in HEX format.
- The tool converts it to RGB, HSL, CMYK format in real time.
- Copy the converted value to your clipboard.
What is HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK color conversion
Converting from HEX to RGB, HSL, CMYK translates a color value between two different color models. Different color models are used in web design (HEX, RGB), print (CMYK), and color theory (HSL, HSV).
Related Tools & Colors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What color / colour is #4E221C?
- #4E221C is Color #4E221C, a red color (colour) with RGB(78, 34, 28), HSL(7, 47%, 21%), and CMYK(0%, 56%, 64%, 69%). Its perceived brightness is 46/255.
- Is #4E221C accessible for text?
- Against white, #4E221C has a contrast ratio of 13.38:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 1.57:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #4E221C?
- The complementary colour is #1C494F (hue 187). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #4F1C30 and #4F3B1C. The triadic palette adds #1C4F22 and #221C4F for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #4E221C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #4e221c; or rgb(78, 34, 28); or hsl(7, 47%, 21%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 7 47% 21%; then use it as hsl(var(--color-primary)).
- Is this color / colour explorer free?
- Yes, completely free with no signup required. All colour calculations run in your browser. You can explore any valid hex color code, not just the pre-generated palette.