Color #B55959 Color / Colour Code #B55959
This page shows the hex color code for color #b55959 (#B55959). The colour is a red tone with 38% saturation and 53% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #B55959 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#B55959 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 330, 0, and 30 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 0, 120, and 240 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #B55959
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 0 and saturation at 38%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 0 to 45 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 0 with its complement at 180 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 #B55959
Lightness variations at hue 0 and 38% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #B55959
Design Use Cases for #B55959
Balanced UI Color
At 38% saturation, #B55959 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 53% lightness, #B55959 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
#B55959 falls in the red spectrum (hue 0). 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 #B55959 (hue 0) to its complement at hue 180. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 30. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #b55959, #5ab5b5);
CSS Code for #B55959
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #B55959 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #B55959 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #B55959 (#B55959)
#B55959 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 181 red, 89 green, and 89 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 0 degrees with 38% saturation and 53% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #B55959 is 117/255 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, 51% magenta, 51% yellow, and 29% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #B55959 against white is 4.63:1 and against black is 4.54:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 37% lightness.
The complementary colour #5AB5B5 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #B55959. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #B55A87 and #B5875A, 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 #B55959
- 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 #B55959?
- #B55959 is Color #B55959, a red color (colour) with RGB(181, 89, 89), HSL(0, 38%, 53%), and CMYK(0%, 51%, 51%, 29%). Its perceived brightness is 117/255.
- Is #B55959 accessible for text?
- Against white, #B55959 has a contrast ratio of 4.63:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.54:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #B55959?
- The complementary colour is #5AB5B5 (hue 180). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #B55A87 and #B5875A. The triadic palette adds #5AB55A and #5A5AB5 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #B55959 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #b55959; or rgb(181, 89, 89); or hsl(0, 38%, 53%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 0 38% 53%; 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.