Color #FF424E Color / Colour Code #FF424E
This page shows the hex color code for color #ff424e (#FF424E). The colour is a red tone with 100% saturation and 63% lightness. Explore its conversions, colour palettes, gradients, accessibility data, and CSS code below.
Color Conversions
Accessibility Contrast
WCAG contrast ratios for #FF424E against common backgrounds.
Complementary Colors
#FF424E paired with its color wheel opposite for maximum contrast.
Analogous Colors
Hues at 326, 356, and 26 degrees for harmonious combinations.
Triadic Palette
Three colors at 356, 116, and 236 degrees.
Color Palettes Using #FF424E
Five shades at lightness levels 15% through 85% while keeping hue at 356 and saturation at 100%. Use the darkest shade for text and the lightest for backgrounds to build a cohesive single-hue design system.
Adjacent hues from 356 to 41 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 356 with its complement at 176 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 #FF424E
Lightness variations at hue 356 and 100% saturation.
CSS Gradients with #FF424E
Design Use Cases for #FF424E
High-Impact Accent
With 100% saturation, #FF424E 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.
Soft Accent & Highlight
With 63% lightness, #FF424E 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
#FF424E falls in the red spectrum (hue 356). 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 #FF424E (hue 356) to its complement at hue 176. For a subtler effect, try pairing with an analogous color at hue 26. Use CSS: background: linear-gradient(135deg, #ff424e, #42fff2);
CSS Code for #FF424E
Similar Colors
Colors visually similar to #FF424E based on RGB, lightness, and hue variations.
Use This Color in Design Tools
Apply #FF424E across image editing and color design tools.
About Color #FF424E (#FF424E)
#FF424E is a red color (colour) with RGB channel values of 255 red, 66 green, and 78 blue. The red channel is dominant by a ratio of 3.9:1 over the weakest channel. In HSL terms, the hue sits at 356 degrees with 100% saturation and 63% lightness, placing it in the warm range of the colour spectrum.
The perceived brightness of #FF424E is 124/255 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, 74% magenta, 69% yellow, and 0% key (black).
The WCAG contrast ratio of #FF424E against white is 3.42:1 and against black is 6.14:1. 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 6.14:1.
The complementary colour #42FFF2 creates maximum visual tension when paired with #FF424E. For more harmonious color combinations, use the analogous colours #FF42AD and #FF9442, 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 #FF424E
- 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 #FF424E?
- #FF424E is Color #FF424E, a red color (colour) with RGB(255, 66, 78), HSL(356, 100%, 63%), and CMYK(0%, 74%, 69%, 0%). Its perceived brightness is 124/255.
- Is #FF424E accessible for text?
- Against white, #FF424E has a contrast ratio of 3.42:1 (fails AA for normal text). Against black, it has 6.14:1 (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 #FF424E?
- The complementary colour is #42FFF2 (hue 176). For subtle color combinations, use analogous colours #FF42AD and #FF9442. The triadic palette adds #4FFF42 and #424FFF for vibrant variety.
- How do I use #FF424E in CSS?
- Use any format: color: #ff424e; or rgb(255, 66, 78); or hsl(356, 100%, 63%). For CSS custom properties: --color-primary: 356 100% 63%; 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.