Color #DD6040 Color / Colour Code #DD6040
This page shows the hex color code for color #dd6040 (#DD6040). The colour is a red tone with 70% saturation and 56% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #DD6040 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#DD6040 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 342, 12, and 42 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 12, 132, and 252 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #DD6040
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 12 and saturation at 70%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 12 to 57 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 12 with its complement at 192 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 #DD6040
Lightness variations at hue 12 and 70% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #DD6040
Design Use Cases for #DD6040
Vibrant Brand Color
#DD6040 has a strong 70% 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 56% lightness, #DD6040 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
#DD6040 falls in the red spectrum (hue 12). 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 #DD6040 (hue 12) to its complement at hue 192. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 42. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #dd6040, #40bedd);
CSS Code for #DD6040
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #DD6040 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #DD6040 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #DD6040 (#DD6040)
#DD6040 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 221 red, 96 green, and 64 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.5:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 12 degrees with 70% saturation and 56% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #DD6040 is 130/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This is a medium-brightness color that can work with either dark or light text depending on font weight and size. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 57% magenta, 71% yellow, and 13% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #DD6040 against white is 3.61:1 and against black is 5.82:1. 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 5.82:1.
The complementary colour #40BEDD creates maximum visual tension when paired with #DD6040. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #DD406F and #DDAE40, 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 #DD6040
- 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 #DD6040?
- #DD6040 is Color #DD6040, a red color (colour) with RGB(221, 96, 64), HSL(12, 70%, 56%), and CMYK(0%, 57%, 71%, 13%). Its perceived brightness is 130/255.
- Is #DD6040 accessible for text?
- Against white, #DD6040 has a contrast ratio of 3.61:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 5.82:1 (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 #DD6040?
- The complementary colour is #40BEDD (hue 192). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #DD406F and #DDAE40. The triadic palette adds #40DD60 and #6040DD for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #DD6040 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #dd6040; or rgb(221, 96, 64); or hsl(12, 70%, 56%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 12 70% 56%; 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.