Color #C12020 Color / Colour Code #C12020
This page shows the hex color code for color #c12020 (#C12020). The colour is a red tone with 72% saturation and 44% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #C12020 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#C12020 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 330, 0, and 30 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 0, 120, and 240 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #C12020
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 0 and saturation at 72%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 0 to 45 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 0 with its complement at 180 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 #C12020
Lightness variations at hue 0 and 72% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #C12020
Design Use Cases for #C12020
Vibrant Brand Color
#C12020 has a strong 72% 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 44% lightness, #C12020 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
#C12020 falls in the red spectrum (hue 0). 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 #C12020 (hue 0) to its complement at hue 180. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 30. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #c12020, #1fc1c1);
CSS Code for #C12020
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #C12020 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #C12020 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #C12020 (#C12020)
#C12020 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 193 red, 32 green, and 32 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.0:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 0 degrees with 72% saturation and 44% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #C12020 is 80/255 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, 83% magenta, 83% yellow, and 24% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #C12020 against white is 6.01:1 and against black is 3.49:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 31% lightness.
The complementary colour #1FC1C1 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #C12020. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #C11F70 and #C1701F, 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 #C12020
- 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 #C12020?
- #C12020 is Color #C12020, a red color (colour) with RGB(193, 32, 32), HSL(0, 72%, 44%), and CMYK(0%, 83%, 83%, 24%). Its perceived brightness is 80/255.
- Is #C12020 accessible for text?
- Against white, #C12020 has a contrast ratio of 6.01:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.49:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #C12020?
- The complementary colour is #1FC1C1 (hue 180). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #C11F70 and #C1701F. The triadic palette adds #1FC11F and #1F1FC1 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #C12020 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #c12020; or rgb(193, 32, 32); or hsl(0, 72%, 44%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 0 72% 44%; 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.