#DD5538
Closest named color: Pale Red (#D9544D). oklch(62.5% 0.176 33.7), rgb(221, 85, 56).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (5.43:1).
About this color
#DD5538 is a medium-light, vivid red. In OKLCH its lightness is 62%, its chroma 0.176 and its hue 34°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Red (#D9544D), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 5.43:1.
| Hue family | Reds |
| Lightness | medium-light (62%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.176) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Pale Red (#D9544D) |
| Black text | 5.43:1 |
| White text | 3.86:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DD5538 |
| RGB | rgb(221, 85, 56) |
| HSL | hsl(11, 71%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(62.5% 0.176 33.7) |
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 #DD5538 | 3.86:1 | AA large text | Lc -70.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #DD5538 | 5.43:1 | AA | Lc 38.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #DD5538 text on white | 3.86:1 | AA large text | Lc 65.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #DD5538 text on black | 5.43:1 | AA | Lc -36.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
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 500.
-
Step 50
50
#FDF3F0
oklch(97.1% 0.012 37.4)
-
Step 100
100
#FAE4DF
oklch(93.5% 0.025 32.9)
-
Step 200
200
#F7CFC5
oklch(88.6% 0.047 34.3)
-
Step 300
300
#F3AD9C
oklch(81% 0.086 34.1)
-
Step 400
400
#E97E66
oklch(70.7% 0.137 33.7)
-
Step 500
500 (this color)
#DD5538
oklch(62.5% 0.176 33.7)
-
Step 600
600
#CB3511
oklch(55.7% 0.192 33.8)
-
Step 700
700
#AF2500
oklch(49.1% 0.178 33.7)
-
Step 800
800
#8E2208
oklch(42.7% 0.147 33.8)
-
Step 900
900
#722312
oklch(37.7% 0.115 33.7)
-
Step 950
950
#43160C
oklch(27% 0.072 34.1)
#DD5538 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) | #7B6F34 | 0.180 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9C8D33 | 0.166 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #F3334F | 0.069 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #828282 | 0.177 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DD5538
#DD5538
oklch(62.5% 0.176 33.7)
- #0098AF
#0098AF
oklch(62.5% 0.109 213.3)
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 #DD5538, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Red #D9544D ΔE 0.024
- Deep Orange #DC4D01 ΔE 0.029
- Pastel Red #DB5856 ΔE 0.031
- Dark Coral #CF524E ΔE 0.038
- Terracotta #CA6641 ΔE 0.043
- Terra Cotta #C9643B ΔE 0.043
- Terracota #CB6843 ΔE 0.044
- Faded Red #D3494E ΔE 0.045
Use #DD5538 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.