Color #CB140B Color / Colour Code #CB140B
This page shows the hex color code for color #cb140b (#CB140B). The colour is a red tone with 90% saturation and 42% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #CB140B against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#CB140B 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 #CB140B
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 3 and saturation at 90%. 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 #CB140B
Lightness variations at hue 3 and 90% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #CB140B
Design Use Cases for #CB140B
High-Impact Accent
With 90% saturation, #CB140B 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 42% lightness, #CB140B 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
#CB140B 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 #CB140B (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, #cb140b, #0bc2cb);
CSS Code for #CB140B
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #CB140B based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #CB140B across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #CB140B (#CB140B)
#CB140B is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 203 red, 20 green, and 11 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 18.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 3 degrees with 90% saturation and 42% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #CB140B is 74/255 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, 90% magenta, 95% yellow, and 20% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #CB140B against white is 5.76:1 and against black is 3.64:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 29% lightness.
The complementary colour #0BC2CB creates maximum visual tension when paired with #CB140B. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #CB0B61 and #CB750B, 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 #CB140B
- 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 #CB140B?
- #CB140B is Color #CB140B, a red color (colour) with RGB(203, 20, 11), HSL(3, 90%, 42%), and CMYK(0%, 90%, 95%, 20%). Its perceived brightness is 74/255.
- Is #CB140B accessible for text?
- Against white, #CB140B has a contrast ratio of 5.76:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 3.64:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #CB140B?
- The complementary colour is #0BC2CB (hue 183). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #CB0B61 and #CB750B. The triadic palette adds #0BCB14 and #140BCB for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #CB140B in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #cb140b; or rgb(203, 20, 11); or hsl(3, 90%, 42%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 3 90% 42%; 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.