Color #C85F1E Color / Colour Code #C85F1E
This page shows the hex color code for color #c85f1e (#C85F1E). The colour is a orange tone with 74% saturation and 45% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #C85F1E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#C85F1E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 353, 23, and 53 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 23, 143, and 263 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #C85F1E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 23 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 23 to 68 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 23 with its complement at 203 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 #C85F1E
Lightness variations at hue 23 and 74% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #C85F1E
Design Use Cases for #C85F1E
Vibrant Brand Color
#C85F1E 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 45% lightness, #C85F1E 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.
Warmth & Enthusiasm
#C85F1E sits in the orange range (hue 23). Orange combines the energy of red with the warmth of yellow. It works naturally for progress indicators, pricing highlights, "new" badges, and friendly call-to-action buttons. Food and fitness brands frequently use this hue range.
Gradient Pairing
Create a gradient from #C85F1E (hue 23) to its complement at hue 203. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 53. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #c85f1e, #1e87c8);
CSS Code for #C85F1E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #C85F1E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #C85F1E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #C85F1E (#C85F1E)
#C85F1E is a orange color (colour) with RGB channel values of 200 red, 95 green, and 30 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 6.7:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 23 degrees with 74% saturation and 45% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #C85F1E is 119/255 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, 53% magenta, 85% yellow, and 22% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #C85F1E against white is 4.11:1 and against black is 5.11:1. 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 5.11:1.
The complementary colour #1E87C8 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #C85F1E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #C81E32 and #C8B41E, 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 #C85F1E
- 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 #C85F1E?
- #C85F1E is Color #C85F1E, a orange color (colour) with RGB(200, 95, 30), HSL(23, 74%, 45%), and CMYK(0%, 53%, 85%, 22%). Its perceived brightness is 119/255.
- Is #C85F1E accessible for text?
- Against white, #C85F1E has a contrast ratio of 4.11:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.11:1 (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 #C85F1E?
- The complementary colour is #1E87C8 (hue 203). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #C81E32 and #C8B41E. The triadic palette adds #1EC85F and #5F1EC8 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #C85F1E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #c85f1e; or rgb(200, 95, 30); or hsl(23, 74%, 45%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 23 74% 45%; 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.