Merlot #730039
Merlot is a dark, vivid red with hex code #730039 and RGB rgb(115, 0, 57).
Aa
White text reads best on this color (11.74:1).
About this color
#730039 is a dark, vivid red. In OKLCH its lightness is 36%, its chroma 0.146 and its hue 1°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. It is the named color Merlot. White text reads best on it, at 11.74:1.
| Hue family | Reds |
| Lightness | dark (36%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.146) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Merlot |
| Black text | 1.78:1 |
| White text | 11.74:1 |
Colors that go with Merlot
Matches found by rotating Merlot 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 Merlot
Curated color palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.06 (OKLab) of Merlot, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight named colors closest to Merlot, with their ΔE distance.
- Bordeaux #7B002C ΔE 0.030
- Wine #80013F ΔE 0.031
- Velvet #750851 ΔE 0.040
- Red Purple #820747 ΔE 0.041
- Wine Red #7B0323 ΔE 0.043
- Burgundy #610023 ΔE 0.053
- Rich Purple #720058 ΔE 0.055
- Claret #680018 ΔE 0.056
More about Merlot
How to make Merlot
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
- 4 parts purple
- 1 part black
Recipe result: #662D41, a difference of ΔE 0.065 from Merlot. That is close; add a little more of one paint to match.
Codes for Merlot in every format
| HEX | #730039 |
| RGB | rgb(115, 0, 57) |
| HSL | hsl(330, 100%, 23%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(36% 0.146 0.6) |
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 #730039 | 11.74:1 | AAA | Lc -98.8 | Preferred for body text |
| Black text on #730039 | 1.78:1 | Fails | Lc 9.0 | Not readable |
| #730039 text on white | 11.74:1 | AAA | Lc 94.9 | Preferred for body text |
| #730039 text on black | 1.78:1 | Fails | Lc -7.7 | Not readable |
Shades and tints of Merlot
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 900.
-
Step 50
50
#FFF2F5
oklch(97.2% 0.015 1.5)
-
Step 100
100
#FDE2E9
oklch(93.7% 0.031 0.2)
-
Step 200
200
#FCC9D7
oklch(88.4% 0.06 0.2)
-
Step 300
300
#FBA3BD
oklch(81% 0.108 0.6)
-
Step 400
400
#F46B9B
oklch(70.7% 0.174 0.6)
-
Step 500
500
#EB3482
oklch(63% 0.223 0.7)
-
Step 600
600
#D1006C
oklch(55.7% 0.225 0.9)
-
Step 700
700
#B0005B
oklch(49% 0.199 0.4)
-
Step 800
800
#92004A
oklch(42.7% 0.173 0.6)
-
Step 900
900 (this color)
#730039
oklch(36% 0.146 0.6)
-
Step 950
950
#470B24
oklch(26.9% 0.092 0.5)
Merlot 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) | #242B3A | 0.167 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #413F37 | 0.148 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #7E001E | 0.051 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #383838 | 0.147 |
Use Merlot 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.