Coral Color Palette
Coral is hex #FF7F50, rgb(255, 127, 80). Coral is a warm pinkish orange named after marine coral. It is friendly and energetic but softer than pure orange.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Coral color codes
Reading the coral color codes
The hex code #FF7F50 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. FF is 255, 7F is 127 and 50 is 80, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(255, 127, 80) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives coral its orange character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 16 degrees places coral in the orange part of the color wheel. Saturation of 100% makes it vivid, and lightness of 66% makes it a light color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 0% cyan, 50% magenta, 69% yellow and 0% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to coral for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Coral shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #FF7F50, so you can use coral for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"coral": {
50: "#FFE1D6",
100: "#FFC9B5",
200: "#FFB093",
300: "#FF9872",
400: "#FF7F50",
500: "#E26F45",
600: "#C4603B",
700: "#A75030",
800: "#894026",
900: "#6C311B",
950: "#4E2111",
},
},
},
}:root {
--coral-50: #FFE1D6;
--coral-100: #FFC9B5;
--coral-200: #FFB093;
--coral-300: #FF9872;
--coral-400: #FF7F50;
--coral-500: #E26F45;
--coral-600: #C4603B;
--coral-700: #A75030;
--coral-800: #894026;
--coral-900: #6C311B;
--coral-950: #4E2111;
}A shade-by-shade guide to coral
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#FFE1D6) and 100 (#FFC9B5), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the coral mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#FFB093) and 300 (#FF9872) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where coral is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 700 upward, so use step 700 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 600.
The darkest steps, 800 (#894026) through 950 (#4E2111), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to coral. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with coral
How the coral color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from coral is #50D0FF, which sits closest to turquoise among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #FF5078 and #FFD750 sit 30 degrees either side of coral. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#50FF7F and #7F50FF) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to emerald green. The split complementary set (#50FFD6 and #5079FF) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #FFE1D6 to #C03400. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Coral compared with similar colors
burnt sienna (#E97451) is darker (62% vs 66% lightness) and more muted, and shares almost the same hue. Choose burnt sienna if you need more weight and contrast; choose coral if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
terracotta (#E2725B) is about as light and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose terracotta if you need more weight and contrast; choose coral if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
salmon (#FA8072) is lighter (71% vs 66% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose salmon if you want a softer, airier version; choose coral if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Coral in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here coral carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using coral in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on coral only reach 2.5:1, so use dark text (8.4:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid coral for body text on white; use step 700 or darker for links and headings that need to read as coral.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid light color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with coral. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Coral scores 2.5:1 against white (Fail) and 8.4:1 against black (AAA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use coral alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What coral means
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast.
Coral is named after the colorful marine invertebrates. Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year, Living Coral, pushed the hue into product design, where it remains a favorite for friendly, approachable brands.
Orange is a strong call-to-action color because it stands out against blue and neutral interfaces. Most mid oranges need dark text, not white, to pass contrast.
Where coral works best
- Social and dating apps
- Summer campaigns
- Food delivery
- Friendly call-to-action buttons
How to style coral
Coral pairs especially well with teal, navy, cream and mint. It needs dark text for small sizes. Use it as a call-to-action color against blue or teal interfaces, where it stands out without the aggression of red.
Build a UI with coral
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #FF7F50 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Coral · History and definition of coral.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for coral?
The hex code for coral used on this page is #FF7F50. In RGB that is rgb(255, 127, 80), and in HSL it is hsl(16, 100%, 66%).
What colors go well with coral?
Coral pairs well with #FFE1D6, #FFFFFF, #264653 (the Reef palette above). Its complementary color is #50D0FF, and analogous colors are #FF5078 and #FFD750.
Is coral a warm or cool color?
Coral is a warm color. Its hue sits at 16 degrees on the color wheel with 100% saturation.
Can I use coral for text?
Coral has a contrast ratio of 2.5:1 against white and 8.4:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does coral mean?
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast. Coral in particular is used for social and dating apps and summer campaigns.
How do I use coral in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#FF7F50] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-coral-500 and text-coral-900.
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