#AE281D
Closest named color: Rufous (#AE2012). oklch(49.4% 0.172 29.4), rgb(174, 40, 29).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (6.72:1).
About this color
#AE281D is a medium-dark, vivid red. In OKLCH its lightness is 49%, its chroma 0.172 and its hue 29°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Rufous (#AE2012), ΔE 0.010 away. White text reads best on it, at 6.72:1.
| Hue family | Reds |
| Lightness | medium-dark (49%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.172) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Rufous (#AE2012) |
| Black text | 3.12:1 |
| White text | 6.72:1 |
Values
| HEX | #AE281D |
| RGB | rgb(174, 40, 29) |
| HSL | hsl(5, 71%, 40%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(49.4% 0.172 29.4) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #AE281D | 6.72:1 | AA | Lc -86.8 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #AE281D | 3.12:1 | AA large text | Lc 22.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #AE281D text on white | 6.72:1 | AA | Lc 81.7 | Fine for body text |
| #AE281D text on black | 3.12:1 | AA large text | Lc -20.2 | Dividers and decoration only |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 700.
-
Step 50
50
#FDF3F1
oklch(97.1% 0.011 31.1)
-
Step 100
100
#FAE4E1
oklch(93.6% 0.025 26.9)
-
Step 200
200
#F6CEC8
oklch(88.4% 0.046 28)
-
Step 300
300
#F2ADA1
oklch(81% 0.084 30)
-
Step 400
400
#E87E6F
oklch(70.8% 0.134 29.3)
-
Step 500
500
#DD5848
oklch(63.1% 0.17 29.5)
-
Step 600
600
#C93729
oklch(55.7% 0.185 29.6)
-
Step 700
700 (this color)
#AE281D
oklch(49.4% 0.172 29.4)
-
Step 800
800
#8D231A
oklch(42.8% 0.143 29.2)
-
Step 900
900
#71241B
oklch(37.8% 0.111 29.8)
-
Step 950
950
#431611
oklch(27.1% 0.071 28.9)
#AE281D with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #52491A | 0.184 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #736616 | 0.167 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C00027 | 0.043 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #5C5C5C | 0.173 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #AE281D
#AE281D
oklch(49.4% 0.172 29.4)
- #006E7C
#006E7C
oklch(49.3% 0.085 210.1)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #AE281D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Rufous #AE2012 ΔE 0.010
- Firebrick #B22222 ΔE 0.011
- Rust Red #AA2704 ΔE 0.017
- Rusty Red #AF2F0D ΔE 0.017
- Brown #A52A2A ΔE 0.021
- Brick #A03623 ΔE 0.031
- Scarlet #BE0119 ΔE 0.036
- Burnt Red #9F2305 ΔE 0.037
Use #AE281D in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.