Crimson #DC143C
Crimson is a medium-dark, vivid red with hex code #DC143C and RGB rgb(220, 20, 60).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (4.98:1).
About this color
#DC143C is a medium-dark, vivid red. In OKLCH its lightness is 57%, its chroma 0.222 and its hue 20°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. It is the named color Crimson. White text reads best on it, at 4.98:1.
| Hue family | Reds |
| Lightness | medium-dark (57%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.222) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Crimson |
| Black text | 4.20:1 |
| White text | 4.98:1 |
Colors that go with Crimson
Matches found by rotating Crimson 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 Crimson
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Crimson, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Crimson, with their ΔE distance.
- Lipstick #D5174E ΔE 0.027
- Cherry #CF0234 ΔE 0.031
- Red Pantone #EF233C ΔE 0.043
- Imperial Red #E63946 ΔE 0.044
- Ruby #CA0147 ΔE 0.045
- Cerise #DE0C62 ΔE 0.051
- Pink Red #F5054F ΔE 0.054
- Faded Red #D3494E ΔE 0.055
More about Crimson
How to make Crimson
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.
- 1 part red
Recipe result: #D7262E, a difference of ΔE 0.023 from Crimson. That is very close: most people will not see the difference.
Codes for Crimson in every format
| HEX | #DC143C |
| RGB | rgb(220, 20, 60) |
| HSL | hsl(348, 83%, 47%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(57.1% 0.222 20.1) |
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 #DC143C | 4.98:1 | AA | Lc -77.6 | Fine for body text |
| Black text on #DC143C | 4.20:1 | AA large text | Lc 31.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #DC143C text on white | 4.98:1 | AA | Lc 72.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #DC143C text on black | 4.20:1 | AA large text | Lc -29.5 | Dividers and decoration only |
Shades and tints of Crimson
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 600.
-
Step 50
50
#FEF2F2
oklch(97.1% 0.013 17.4)
-
Step 100
100
#FDE3E2
oklch(93.7% 0.029 20.3)
-
Step 200
200
#FCCBCA
oklch(88.4% 0.056 19.6)
-
Step 300
300
#FBA7A6
oklch(81% 0.1 20.2)
-
Step 400
400
#F47276
oklch(70.7% 0.16 20.2)
-
Step 500
500
#EB4253
oklch(63.1% 0.204 20)
-
Step 600
600 (this color)
#DC143C
oklch(57.1% 0.222 20.1)
-
Step 700
700
#B6002D
oklch(49.1% 0.197 20.1)
-
Step 800
800
#960124
oklch(42.6% 0.171 20)
-
Step 900
900
#791522
oklch(37.8% 0.133 20.1)
-
Step 950
950
#470F14
oklch(26.9% 0.085 20.1)
Crimson 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) | #5C553B | 0.247 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8B7E35 | 0.225 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #F20029 | 0.046 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #6F6F6F | 0.224 |
Use Crimson 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.