Color #DE8A78 Color / Colour Code #DE8A78
This page shows the hex color code for color #de8a78 (#DE8A78). The colour is a red tone with 61% saturation and 67% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #DE8A78 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#DE8A78 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 341, 11, and 41 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 11, 131, and 251 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #DE8A78
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 11 and saturation at 61%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 11 to 56 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 11 with its complement at 191 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 #DE8A78
Lightness variations at hue 11 and 61% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #DE8A78
Design Use Cases for #DE8A78
Vibrant Brand Color
#DE8A78 has a strong 61% 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 67% lightness, #DE8A78 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
#DE8A78 falls in the red spectrum (hue 11). 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 #DE8A78 (hue 11) to its complement at hue 191. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 41. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #de8a78, #78cbde);
CSS Code for #DE8A78
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #DE8A78 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #DE8A78 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #DE8A78 (#DE8A78)
#DE8A78 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 222 red, 138 green, and 120 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 11 degrees with 61% saturation and 67% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #DE8A78 is 161/255 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, 38% magenta, 46% yellow, and 13% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #DE8A78 against white is 2.62:1 and against black is 8.01:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 8.01:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #78CBDE creates maximum visual tension when paired with #DE8A78. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #DE7898 and #DEBE78, 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 #DE8A78
- 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 #DE8A78?
- #DE8A78 is Color #DE8A78, a red color (colour) with RGB(222, 138, 120), HSL(11, 61%, 67%), and CMYK(0%, 38%, 46%, 13%). Its perceived brightness is 161/255.
- Is #DE8A78 accessible for text?
- Against white, #DE8A78 has a contrast ratio of 2.62:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 8.01:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #DE8A78?
- The complementary colour is #78CBDE (hue 191). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #DE7898 and #DEBE78. The triadic palette adds #78DE8A and #8A78DE for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #DE8A78 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #de8a78; or rgb(222, 138, 120); or hsl(11, 61%, 67%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 11 61% 67%; 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.