Color #BC102E Color / Colour Code #BC102E
This page shows the hex color code for color #bc102e (#BC102E). The colour is a red tone with 84% saturation and 40% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BC102E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BC102E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 320, 350, and 20 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 350, 110, and 230 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BC102E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 350 and saturation at 84%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 350 to 35 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 350 with its complement at 170 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 #BC102E
Lightness variations at hue 350 and 84% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BC102E
Design Use Cases for #BC102E
Vibrant Brand Color
#BC102E has a strong 84% 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 40% lightness, #BC102E 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
#BC102E falls in the red spectrum (hue 350). 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 #BC102E (hue 350) to its complement at hue 170. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 20. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bc102e, #10bc9f);
CSS Code for #BC102E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BC102E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BC102E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BC102E (#BC102E)
#BC102E is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 188 red, 16 green, and 46 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 11.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 350 degrees with 84% saturation and 40% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BC102E is 71/255 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, 91% magenta, 76% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BC102E against white is 6.46:1 and against black is 3.25:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 28% lightness.
The complementary colour #10BC9F creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BC102E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BC1083 and #BC4910, 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 #BC102E
- 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 #BC102E?
- #BC102E is Color #BC102E, a red color (colour) with RGB(188, 16, 46), HSL(350, 84%, 40%), and CMYK(0%, 91%, 76%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 71/255.
- Is #BC102E accessible for text?
- Against white, #BC102E has a contrast ratio of 6.46:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.25:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BC102E?
- The complementary colour is #10BC9F (hue 170). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BC1083 and #BC4910. The triadic palette adds #2DBC10 and #102DBC for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BC102E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bc102e; or rgb(188, 16, 46); or hsl(350, 84%, 40%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 350 84% 40%; 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.