Color #AB5259 Color / Colour Code #AB5259
This page shows the hex color code for color #ab5259 (#AB5259). The colour is a red tone with 35% saturation and 50% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #AB5259 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#AB5259 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 325, 355, and 25 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 355, 115, and 235 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #AB5259
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 355 and saturation at 35%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 355 to 40 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 355 with its complement at 175 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 #AB5259
Lightness variations at hue 355 and 35% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #AB5259
Design Use Cases for #AB5259
Balanced UI Color
At 35% saturation, #AB5259 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 50% lightness, #AB5259 has a softer, more approachable quality. It works well for hover states, subtle highlights, progress indicators, and secondary UI elements. This lightness range is particularly effective for tag backgrounds and status indicators.
Urgency & Energy Signaling
#AB5259 falls in the red spectrum (hue 355). 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 #AB5259 (hue 355) to its complement at hue 175. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 25. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ab5259, #53aca5);
CSS Code for #AB5259
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #AB5259 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #AB5259 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #AB5259 (#AB5259)
#AB5259 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 171 red, 82 green, and 89 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 355 degrees with 35% saturation and 50% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #AB5259 is 109/255 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, 52% magenta, 48% yellow, and 33% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #AB5259 against white is 5.14:1 and against black is 4.08:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 35% lightness.
The complementary colour #53ACA5 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #AB5259. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #AC5387 and #AC7853, 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 #AB5259
- 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 #AB5259?
- #AB5259 is Color #AB5259, a red color (colour) with RGB(171, 82, 89), HSL(355, 35%, 50%), and CMYK(0%, 52%, 48%, 33%). Its perceived brightness is 109/255.
- Is #AB5259 accessible for text?
- Against white, #AB5259 has a contrast ratio of 5.14:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.08:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #AB5259?
- The complementary colour is #53ACA5 (hue 175). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #AC5387 and #AC7853. The triadic palette adds #5AAC53 and #535AAC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #AB5259 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #ab5259; or rgb(171, 82, 89); or hsl(355, 35%, 50%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 355 35% 50%; 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.