Color #BB5849 Color / Colour Code #BB5849
This page shows the hex color code for color #bb5849 (#BB5849). 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 #BB5849 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BB5849 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 338, 8, and 38 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 8, 128, and 248 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BB5849
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 8 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 8 to 53 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 8 with its complement at 188 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 #BB5849
Lightness variations at hue 8 and 46% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BB5849
Design Use Cases for #BB5849
Balanced UI Color
At 46% saturation, #BB5849 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, #BB5849 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
#BB5849 falls in the red spectrum (hue 8). 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 #BB5849 (hue 8) to its complement at hue 188. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 38. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bb5849, #49acbc);
CSS Code for #BB5849
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BB5849 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BB5849 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BB5849 (#BB5849)
#BB5849 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 187 red, 88 green, and 73 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 8 degrees with 46% saturation and 51% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BB5849 is 116/255 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, 53% magenta, 61% yellow, and 27% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BB5849 against white is 4.56:1 and against black is 4.61:1. 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 #49ACBC creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BB5849. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BC4973 and #BC9149, 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 #BB5849
- 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 #BB5849?
- #BB5849 is Color #BB5849, a red color (colour) with RGB(187, 88, 73), HSL(8, 46%, 51%), and CMYK(0%, 53%, 61%, 27%). Its perceived brightness is 116/255.
- Is #BB5849 accessible for text?
- Against white, #BB5849 has a contrast ratio of 4.56:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.61:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BB5849?
- The complementary colour is #49ACBC (hue 188). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BC4973 and #BC9149. The triadic palette adds #49BC58 and #5849BC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BB5849 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bb5849; or rgb(187, 88, 73); or hsl(8, 46%, 51%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 8 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.