Pale Red Color / Colour Code #F9ECEC
This page shows the hex color code for pale red (#F9ECEC). The colour is a red tone with 52% saturation and 95% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #F9ECEC against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#F9ECEC paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 330, 0, and 30 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 0, 120, and 240 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #F9ECEC
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 0 and saturation at 52%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 0 to 45 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 0 with its complement at 180 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 #F9ECEC
Lightness variations at hue 0 and 52% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #F9ECEC
Design Use Cases for #F9ECEC
Balanced UI Color
At 52% saturation, #F9ECEC strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint. This makes it versatile for primary UI elements like navigation bars, card headers, and form accents. It draws attention without overwhelming adjacent content.
Near-White Background
At 95% lightness, #F9ECEC is very close to white but carries a subtle red tint. This is perfect for alternating row backgrounds in tables, subtle section differentiation, and adding warmth or coolness to an otherwise stark white design.
Urgency & Energy Signaling
#F9ECEC falls in the red spectrum (hue 0). 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 #F9ECEC (hue 0) to its complement at hue 180. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 30. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f9ecec, #ecf9f9);
CSS Code for #F9ECEC
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #F9ECEC based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #F9ECEC across image editing and color design tools.
About Pale Red (#F9ECEC)
#F9ECEC is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 249 red, 236 green, and 236 blue. The red channel is dominant with a relatively balanced channel distribution. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 0 degrees with 52% saturation and 95% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #F9ECEC is 240/255 using the ITU-R BT.601 luma formula (0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B). This means it appears bright to the human eye and is best paired with dark text for readability. For print production, the CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 5% magenta, 5% yellow, and 2% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #F9ECEC against white is 1.15:1 and against black is 18.24:1. This does not meet AA requirements on white. Use it on dark backgrounds where it achieves 18.24:1, or use it exclusively for decorative purposes.
The complementary colour #ECF9F9 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #F9ECEC. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #F9ECF2 and #F9F2EC, 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 #F9ECEC
- 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 #F9ECEC?
- #F9ECEC is Pale Red, a red color (colour) with RGB(249, 236, 236), HSL(0, 52%, 95%), and CMYK(0%, 5%, 5%, 2%). Its perceived brightness is 240/255.
- Is #F9ECEC accessible for text?
- Against white, #F9ECEC has a contrast ratio of 1.15:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 18.24:1 (passes AA). Use the contrast checker tool for custom background pairings.
- What colours pair well with #F9ECEC?
- The complementary colour is #ECF9F9 (hue 180). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #F9ECF2 and #F9F2EC. The triadic palette adds #ECF9EC and #ECECF9 for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #F9ECEC in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #f9ecec; or rgb(249, 236, 236); or hsl(0, 52%, 95%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 0 52% 95%; 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.