Color #C8516C Color / Colour Code #C8516C
This page shows the hex color code for color #c8516c (#C8516C). The colour is a red tone with 52% saturation and 55% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #C8516C against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#C8516C paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 316, 346, and 16 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 346, 106, and 226 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #C8516C
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 346 and saturation at 52%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 346 to 31 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 346 with its complement at 166 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 #C8516C
Lightness variations at hue 346 and 52% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #C8516C
Design Use Cases for #C8516C
Balanced UI Color
At 52% saturation, #C8516C 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 55% lightness, #C8516C 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
#C8516C falls in the red spectrum (hue 346). 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 #C8516C (hue 346) to its complement at hue 166. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 16. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #c8516c, #51c8ac);
CSS Code for #C8516C
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #C8516C based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #C8516C across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #C8516C (#C8516C)
#C8516C is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 200 red, 81 green, and 108 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 2.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 346 degrees with 52% saturation and 55% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #C8516C is 120/255 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, 60% magenta, 46% yellow, and 22% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #C8516C against white is 4.33:1 and against black is 4.85:1. This only passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. For normal body text on white, darken the color or use it on a dark background where it achieves 4.85:1.
The complementary colour #51C8AC creates maximum visual tension when paired with #C8516C. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #C851A8 and #C87051, 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 #C8516C
- 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 #C8516C?
- #C8516C is Color #C8516C, a red color (colour) with RGB(200, 81, 108), HSL(346, 52%, 55%), and CMYK(0%, 60%, 46%, 22%). Its perceived brightness is 120/255.
- Is #C8516C accessible for text?
- Against white, #C8516C has a contrast ratio of 4.33:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.85:1 (passes AA). It passes AA for large text (18pt+) on white. Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #C8516C?
- The complementary colour is #51C8AC (hue 166). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #C851A8 and #C87051. The triadic palette adds #6CC851 and #516CC8 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #C8516C in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #c8516c; or rgb(200, 81, 108); or hsl(346, 52%, 55%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 346 52% 55%; 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.