Color #BB381C Color / Colour Code #BB381C
This page shows the hex color code for color #bb381c (#BB381C). The colour is a red tone with 74% saturation and 42% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BB381C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BB381C 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 #BB381C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 11 and saturation at 74%. 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 #BB381C
Lightness variations at hue 11 and 74% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BB381C
Design Use Cases for #BB381C
Vibrant Brand Color
#BB381C has a strong 74% 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 42% lightness, #BB381C 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
#BB381C 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 #BB381C (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, #bb381c, #1c9dba);
CSS Code for #BB381C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BB381C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BB381C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BB381C (#BB381C)
#BB381C is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 187 red, 56 green, and 28 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.7:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 11 degrees with 74% saturation and 42% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BB381C is 92/255 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, 70% magenta, 85% yellow, and 27% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BB381C against white is 5.68:1 and against black is 3.70:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 29% lightness.
The complementary colour #1C9DBA creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BB381C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BA1C4E and #BA881C, 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 #BB381C
- 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 #BB381C?
- #BB381C is Color #BB381C, a red color (colour) with RGB(187, 56, 28), HSL(11, 74%, 42%), and CMYK(0%, 70%, 85%, 27%). Its perceived brightness is 92/255.
- Is #BB381C accessible for text?
- Against white, #BB381C has a contrast ratio of 5.68:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.70:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BB381C?
- The complementary colour is #1C9DBA (hue 191). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BA1C4E and #BA881C. The triadic palette adds #1CBA39 and #391CBA for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BB381C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bb381c; or rgb(187, 56, 28); or hsl(11, 74%, 42%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 11 74% 42%; 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.