Red Color / Colour Code #862D43
This page shows the hex color code for red (#862D43). The colour is a red tone with 50% saturation and 35% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #862D43 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#862D43 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 315, 345, and 15 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 345, 105, and 225 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #862D43
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 345 and saturation at 50%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 345 to 30 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 345 with its complement at 165 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 #862D43
Lightness variations at hue 345 and 50% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #862D43
Design Use Cases for #862D43
Balanced UI Color
At 50% saturation, #862D43 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.
Primary Interface Color
At 35% lightness, #862D43 is in the mid-range, making it ideal for interactive elements like buttons, links, and selected states. This lightness level ensures good contrast against both light and dark adjacent elements in most layouts.
Urgency & Energy Signaling
#862D43 falls in the red spectrum (hue 345). 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 #862D43 (hue 345) to its complement at hue 165. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 15. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #862d43, #2d8670);
CSS Code for #862D43
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #862D43 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #862D43 across image editing and color design tools.
About Red (#862D43)
#862D43 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 134 red, 45 green, and 67 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 345 degrees with 50% saturation and 35% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #862D43 is 74/255 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, 66% magenta, 50% yellow, and 47% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #862D43 against white is 8.50:1 and against black is 2.47:1. 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 #2D8670 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #862D43. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #862D70 and #86432D, 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 #862D43
- 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 #862D43?
- #862D43 is Red, a red color (colour) with RGB(134, 45, 67), HSL(345, 50%, 35%), and CMYK(0%, 66%, 50%, 47%). Its perceived brightness is 74/255.
- Is #862D43 accessible for text?
- Against white, #862D43 has a contrast ratio of 8.50:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.47:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #862D43?
- The complementary colour is #2D8670 (hue 165). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #862D70 and #86432D. The triadic palette adds #43862D and #2D4386 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #862D43 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #862d43; or rgb(134, 45, 67); or hsl(345, 50%, 35%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 345 50% 35%; 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.