Color #BD170D Color / Colour Code #BD170D
This page shows the hex color code for color #bd170d (#BD170D). The colour is a red tone with 87% saturation and 40% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BD170D against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BD170D paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 333, 3, and 33 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 3, 123, and 243 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BD170D
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 3 and saturation at 87%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 3 to 48 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 3 with its complement at 183 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 #BD170D
Lightness variations at hue 3 and 87% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BD170D
Design Use Cases for #BD170D
High-Impact Accent
With 87% saturation, #BD170D is highly vivid. Reserve this for elements that need maximum attention: primary action buttons, notification badges, error states, or promotional banners. Use sparingly alongside neutral tones to avoid visual fatigue.
Primary Interface Color
At 40% lightness, #BD170D 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
#BD170D falls in the red spectrum (hue 3). 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 #BD170D (hue 3) to its complement at hue 183. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 33. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bd170d, #0db6bf);
CSS Code for #BD170D
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BD170D based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BD170D across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BD170D (#BD170D)
#BD170D is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 189 red, 23 green, and 13 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 14.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 3 degrees with 87% saturation and 40% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BD170D 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, 88% magenta, 93% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BD170D against white is 6.38:1 and against black is 3.29:1. 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 #0DB6BF creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BD170D. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BF0D5D and #BF6F0D, 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 #BD170D
- 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 #BD170D?
- #BD170D is Color #BD170D, a red color (colour) with RGB(189, 23, 13), HSL(3, 87%, 40%), and CMYK(0%, 88%, 93%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 71/255.
- Is #BD170D accessible for text?
- Against white, #BD170D has a contrast ratio of 6.38:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.29:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BD170D?
- The complementary colour is #0DB6BF (hue 183). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BF0D5D and #BF6F0D. The triadic palette adds #0DBF16 and #160DBF for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BD170D in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bd170d; or rgb(189, 23, 13); or hsl(3, 87%, 40%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 3 87% 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.