Color #BB494D Color / Colour Code #BB494D
This page shows the hex color code for color #bb494d (#BB494D). The colour is a red tone with 46% saturation and 51% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BB494D against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BB494D 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 #BB494D
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 358 and saturation at 46%. 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 #BB494D
Lightness variations at hue 358 and 46% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BB494D
Design Use Cases for #BB494D
Balanced UI Color
At 46% saturation, #BB494D 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 51% lightness, #BB494D 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
#BB494D 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 #BB494D (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, #bb494d, #49bcb8);
CSS Code for #BB494D
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BB494D based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BB494D across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BB494D (#BB494D)
#BB494D is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 187 red, 73 green, and 77 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 358 degrees with 46% saturation and 51% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BB494D is 108/255 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, 61% magenta, 59% yellow, and 27% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BB494D against white is 5.03:1 and against black is 4.17:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 36% lightness.
The complementary colour #49BCB8 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BB494D. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BC4986 and #BC7E49, 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 #BB494D
- 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 #BB494D?
- #BB494D is Color #BB494D, a red color (colour) with RGB(187, 73, 77), HSL(358, 46%, 51%), and CMYK(0%, 61%, 59%, 27%). Its perceived brightness is 108/255.
- Is #BB494D accessible for text?
- Against white, #BB494D has a contrast ratio of 5.03:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.17:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BB494D?
- The complementary colour is #49BCB8 (hue 178). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BC4986 and #BC7E49. The triadic palette adds #4CBC49 and #494CBC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BB494D in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bb494d; or rgb(187, 73, 77); or hsl(358, 46%, 51%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 358 46% 51%; 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.