Color #9C331C Color / Colour Code #9C331C
This page shows the hex color code for color #9c331c (#9C331C). The colour is a red tone with 70% saturation and 36% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #9C331C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#9C331C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 341, 11, and 41 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 11, 131, and 251 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #9C331C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 11 and saturation at 70%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 11 to 56 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 11 with its complement at 191 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 #9C331C
Lightness variations at hue 11 and 70% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #9C331C
Design Use Cases for #9C331C
Vibrant Brand Color
#9C331C has a strong 70% saturation that makes it ideal for brand identity elements. Use it for logos, primary call-to-action buttons, hero section accents, and marketing materials where visual impact matters. This saturation level is eye-catching without being harsh.
Primary Interface Color
At 36% lightness, #9C331C 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
#9C331C falls in the red spectrum (hue 11). 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 #9C331C (hue 11) to its complement at hue 191. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 41. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #9c331c, #1c849c);
CSS Code for #9C331C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #9C331C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #9C331C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #9C331C (#9C331C)
#9C331C is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 156 red, 51 green, and 28 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 5.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 11 degrees with 70% saturation and 36% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #9C331C is 80/255 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, 67% magenta, 82% yellow, and 39% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #9C331C against white is 7.23:1 and against black is 2.90:1. 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 #1C849C creates maximum visual tension when paired with #9C331C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #9C1C44 and #9C731C, 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 #9C331C
- 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 #9C331C?
- #9C331C is Color #9C331C, a red color (colour) with RGB(156, 51, 28), HSL(11, 70%, 36%), and CMYK(0%, 67%, 82%, 39%). Its perceived brightness is 80/255.
- Is #9C331C accessible for text?
- Against white, #9C331C has a contrast ratio of 7.23:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.90:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #9C331C?
- The complementary colour is #1C849C (hue 191). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #9C1C44 and #9C731C. The triadic palette adds #1C9C33 and #331C9C for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #9C331C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #9c331c; or rgb(156, 51, 28); or hsl(11, 70%, 36%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 11 70% 36%; 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.