Color #AB161A Color / Colour Code #AB161A
This page shows the hex color code for color #ab161a (#AB161A). The colour is a red tone with 77% saturation and 38% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #AB161A against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#AB161A paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 328, 358, and 28 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 358, 118, and 238 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #AB161A
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 358 and saturation at 77%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 358 to 43 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 358 with its complement at 178 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 #AB161A
Lightness variations at hue 358 and 77% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #AB161A
Design Use Cases for #AB161A
Vibrant Brand Color
#AB161A has a strong 77% 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 38% lightness, #AB161A 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
#AB161A falls in the red spectrum (hue 358). 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 #AB161A (hue 358) to its complement at hue 178. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 28. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ab161a, #16aca7);
CSS Code for #AB161A
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #AB161A based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #AB161A across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #AB161A (#AB161A)
#AB161A is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 171 red, 22 green, and 26 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 7.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 358 degrees with 77% saturation and 38% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #AB161A is 67/255 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, 87% magenta, 85% yellow, and 33% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #AB161A against white is 7.34:1 and against black is 2.86:1. 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 #16ACA7 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #AB161A. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #AC1666 and #AC5C16, 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 #AB161A
- 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 #AB161A?
- #AB161A is Color #AB161A, a red color (colour) with RGB(171, 22, 26), HSL(358, 77%, 38%), and CMYK(0%, 87%, 85%, 33%). Its perceived brightness is 67/255.
- Is #AB161A accessible for text?
- Against white, #AB161A has a contrast ratio of 7.34:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 2.86:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #AB161A?
- The complementary colour is #16ACA7 (hue 178). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #AC1666 and #AC5C16. The triadic palette adds #1BAC16 and #161BAC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #AB161A in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #ab161a; or rgb(171, 22, 26); or hsl(358, 77%, 38%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 358 77% 38%; 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.