Color #E12C48 Color / Colour Code #E12C48
This page shows the hex color code for color #e12c48 (#E12C48). The colour is a red tone with 75% saturation and 53% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #E12C48 against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#E12C48 paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 321, 351, and 21 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 351, 111, and 231 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #E12C48
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 351 and saturation at 75%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 351 to 36 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 351 with its complement at 171 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 #E12C48
Lightness variations at hue 351 and 75% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #E12C48
Design Use Cases for #E12C48
Vibrant Brand Color
#E12C48 has a strong 75% 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 53% lightness, #E12C48 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
#E12C48 falls in the red spectrum (hue 351). 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 #E12C48 (hue 351) to its complement at hue 171. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 21. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #e12c48, #2de1c6);
CSS Code for #E12C48
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #E12C48 based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #E12C48 across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #E12C48 (#E12C48)
#E12C48 is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 225 red, 44 green, and 72 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 5.1:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 351 degrees with 75% saturation and 53% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #E12C48 is 101/255 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, 80% magenta, 68% yellow, and 12% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #E12C48 against white is 4.51:1 and against black is 4.66:1. This meets the AA requirement (4.5:1) for normal text on white. For AAA compliance, consider darkening to at least 37% lightness.
The complementary colour #2DE1C6 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #E12C48. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #E12DA2 and #E16C2D, 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 #E12C48
- 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 #E12C48?
- #E12C48 is Color #E12C48, a red color (colour) with RGB(225, 44, 72), HSL(351, 75%, 53%), and CMYK(0%, 80%, 68%, 12%). Its perceived brightness is 101/255.
- Is #E12C48 accessible for text?
- Against white, #E12C48 has a contrast ratio of 4.51:1 (passes AA for normal text). Against black, it has 4.66:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #E12C48?
- The complementary colour is #2DE1C6 (hue 171). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #E12DA2 and #E16C2D. The triadic palette adds #48E12D and #2D48E1 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #E12C48 in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #e12c48; or rgb(225, 44, 72); or hsl(351, 75%, 53%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 351 75% 53%; 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.