Auburn #9B2226
Auburn is a medium-dark, vivid red with hex code #9B2226 and RGB rgb(155, 34, 38).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (7.92:1).
About this color
#9B2226 is a medium-dark, vivid red. In OKLCH its lightness is 45%, its chroma 0.157 and its hue 25°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. It is the named color Auburn. White text reads best on it, at 7.92:1.
| Hue family | Reds |
| Lightness | medium-dark (45%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.157) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Auburn |
| Black text | 2.65:1 |
| White text | 7.92:1 |
Colors that go with Auburn
Matches found by rotating Auburn around the OKLCH hue wheel, each labelled with the closest name in our list.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Color palettes with Auburn
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Auburn, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Auburn, with their ΔE distance.
- Carmine #9D0216 ΔE 0.025
- Burnt Red #9F2305 ΔE 0.026
- Brown #A52A2A ΔE 0.026
- Deep Red #9A0200 ΔE 0.033
- Blood Red #980002 ΔE 0.035
- Brown Red #922B05 ΔE 0.037
- Brick #A03623 ΔE 0.038
- Red Brown #8B2E16 ΔE 0.041
More about Auburn
How to make Auburn
A starting recipe from common paint colors, found with a spectral paint model (the color mixer’s paint mode). Real pigments vary, so mix a small test batch and adjust.
- 4 parts red
- 1 part blue
Recipe result: #903235, a difference of ΔE 0.031 from Auburn. That is close; add a little more of one paint to match.
Codes for Auburn in every format
| HEX | #9B2226 |
| RGB | rgb(155, 34, 38) |
| HSL | hsl(358, 64%, 37%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(45.4% 0.157 24.6) |
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 #9B2226 | 7.92:1 | AAA | Lc -90.9 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #9B2226 | 2.65:1 | Fails | Lc 17.9 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #9B2226 text on white | 7.92:1 | AAA | Lc 86.1 | Fine for body text |
| #9B2226 text on black | 2.65:1 | Fails | Lc -16.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
Shades and tints of Auburn
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 800.
-
Step 50
50
#FEF2F1
oklch(97% 0.013 23.2)
-
Step 100
100
#FBE4E1
oklch(93.7% 0.026 26.5)
-
Step 200
200
#F9CDC9
oklch(88.5% 0.05 24.2)
-
Step 300
300
#F6AAA3
oklch(80.9% 0.091 25.1)
-
Step 400
400
#EE7872
oklch(70.7% 0.147 24.5)
-
Step 500
500
#E54E4D
oklch(63.2% 0.188 24.6)
-
Step 600
600
#D02630
oklch(55.6% 0.203 24.6)
-
Step 700
700
#B31323
oklch(49% 0.189 24.4)
-
Step 800
800 (this color)
#9B2226
oklch(45.4% 0.157 24.6)
-
Step 900
900
#751D1E
oklch(37.7% 0.122 24.7)
-
Step 950
950
#451312
oklch(27% 0.077 24.9)
Auburn 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) | #474025 | 0.170 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #655B21 | 0.157 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #AB0025 | 0.036 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #515151 | 0.158 |
Use Auburn 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.