Dark text passes AA
5.25:1

Red

#FF0000

This is pure screen red: the red channel at full strength with no green or blue. It reads as urgent, the color of stop signs and error messages, so it works best in small doses like a single button or alert. Black text reaches 5.3:1 on it and passes WCAG AA, while white text falls just short at 4.0:1.

HEX#FF0000
RGBrgb(255, 0, 0)
HSLhsl(0, 100%, 50%)
OKLCHoklch(62.8% 0.258 29.2)
CMYKcmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%)
CMYK is an approximate screen conversion, not for print matching.

Lighter and darker

Ten steps toward white and ten toward black, with red in the middle. Click a step to copy its hex code.

LightestRed #FF0000Darkest

Readability

White text on redNormal text at 16px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
4:1
  • Passes AA large
  • Fails AA normal
  • Fails AAA normal
  • Fails AAA large
Dark text on redNormal text at 16px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
5.25:1
  • Passes AA normal
  • Passes AA large
  • Passes AAA large
  • Fails AAA normal

Colors that go with red

#FF0000#00FFFF

Complementary

The opposite on the color wheel
#FF0080#FF0000#FF8000

Analogous

Its two neighbors
#FF0000#00FF00#0000FF

Triadic

Three evenly spaced colors
#FF0000#00FF80#0080FF

Split-complementary

The two colors beside its opposite

Red color palettes

Monochrome

Lighter and darker versions of the same color.

Analogous

Neighbors on the color wheel, for a calm, related look.

Complementary

The color with its opposite, for strong contrast.

Triadic

Three colors evenly spaced around the wheel, with a light and dark version.

Similar colors

  • Candy Apple Red#FF0800
  • Scarlet#FF2400
  • Vermilion#E34234
  • Tomato Red#FF6347
  • Neon Orange#FF5F1F
  • Persimmon#EC5800
  • Fire Engine Red#CE2029
  • Mahogany#C04000
Shades of redEvery named red shade with hex codes

Use red in a tool

Check text contrast with redMix red with other colorsBuild an accessible palette from red

Questions about red

What is the hex code for red?

The hex code for red is #FF0000. In RGB it's rgb(255, 0, 0), and in HSL it's hsl(0, 100%, 50%).

What colors go with red?

Its complementary color is #00FFFF. For a calmer look, try the analogous colors #FF0080 and #FF8000, or one of the palettes above, which all include red.

Is text readable on red?

Dark text is the better choice, with a contrast ratio of 5.25:1. That passes WCAG AA for normal text.