Color #DB280F Color / Colour Code #DB280F
This page shows the hex color code for color #db280f (#DB280F). The colour is a red tone with 87% saturation and 46% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #DB280F against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#DB280F paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 337, 7, and 37 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 7, 127, and 247 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #DB280F
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 7 and saturation at 87%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 7 to 52 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 7 with its complement at 187 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 #DB280F
Lightness variations at hue 7 and 87% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #DB280F
Design Use Cases for #DB280F
High-Impact Accent
With 87% saturation, #DB280F 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 46% lightness, #DB280F 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
#DB280F falls in the red spectrum (hue 7). 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 #DB280F (hue 7) to its complement at hue 187. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 37. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #db280f, #0fc4db);
CSS Code for #DB280F
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #DB280F based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #DB280F across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #DB280F (#DB280F)
#DB280F is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 219 red, 40 green, and 15 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 14.6:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 7 degrees with 87% saturation and 46% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #DB280F is 91/255 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, 82% magenta, 93% yellow, and 14% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #DB280F against white is 4.86:1 and against black is 4.32:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 32% lightness.
The complementary colour #0FC4DB creates maximum visual tension when paired with #DB280F. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #DB0F5D and #DB8D0F, 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 #DB280F
- 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 #DB280F?
- #DB280F is Color #DB280F, a red color (colour) with RGB(219, 40, 15), HSL(7, 87%, 46%), and CMYK(0%, 82%, 93%, 14%). Its perceived brightness is 91/255.
- Is #DB280F accessible for text?
- Against white, #DB280F has a contrast ratio of 4.86:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.32:1 (fails AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #DB280F?
- The complementary colour is #0FC4DB (hue 187). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #DB0F5D and #DB8D0F. The triadic palette adds #0FDB27 and #270FDB for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #DB280F in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #db280f; or rgb(219, 40, 15); or hsl(7, 87%, 46%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 7 87% 46%; 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.