Color #BD261C Color / Colour Code #BD261C
This page shows the hex color code for color #bd261c (#BD261C). The colour is a red tone with 74% saturation and 43% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #BD261C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#BD261C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 334, 4, and 34 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 4, 124, and 244 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #BD261C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 4 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 4 to 49 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 4 with its complement at 184 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 #BD261C
Lightness variations at hue 4 and 74% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #BD261C
Design Use Cases for #BD261C
Vibrant Brand Color
#BD261C 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 43% lightness, #BD261C 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
#BD261C falls in the red spectrum (hue 4). 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 #BD261C (hue 4) to its complement at hue 184. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 34. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #bd261c, #1db4bf);
CSS Code for #BD261C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #BD261C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #BD261C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #BD261C (#BD261C)
#BD261C is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 189 red, 38 green, and 28 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.8:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 4 degrees with 74% saturation and 43% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #BD261C is 82/255 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, 80% magenta, 85% yellow, and 26% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #BD261C against white is 6.07:1 and against black is 3.46:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 30% lightness.
The complementary colour #1DB4BF creates maximum visual tension when paired with #BD261C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #BF1D63 and #BF781D, 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 #BD261C
- 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 #BD261C?
- #BD261C is Color #BD261C, a red color (colour) with RGB(189, 38, 28), HSL(4, 74%, 43%), and CMYK(0%, 80%, 85%, 26%). Its perceived brightness is 82/255.
- Is #BD261C accessible for text?
- Against white, #BD261C has a contrast ratio of 6.07:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.46:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #BD261C?
- The complementary colour is #1DB4BF (hue 184). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #BF1D63 and #BF781D. The triadic palette adds #1DBF27 and #271DBF for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #BD261C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #bd261c; or rgb(189, 38, 28); or hsl(4, 74%, 43%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 4 74% 43%; 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.