Crimson Color Palette

The hex code #DC143C is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. DC is 220, 14 is 20 and 3C is 60, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(220, 20, 60) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives crimson its red character.

HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 348 degrees places crimson in the red part of the color wheel. Saturation of 83% makes it vivid, and lightness of 47% makes it a mid-tone 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, 91% magenta, 73% yellow and 14% 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 crimson for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.

A full 50 to 950 scale built around #DC143C, so you can use crimson for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.

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 (#F9D5DC) and 100 (#F4B5C2), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the crimson mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#EF95A7) and 300 (#EA758C) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.

The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where crimson 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 600 upward, so use step 600 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 400.

The darkest steps, 800 (#950E29) through 950 (#4F0716), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to crimson. 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.

Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from crimson is #14DCB4, 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. #DC14A0 and #DC5014 sit 30 degrees either side of crimson. 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 (#3CDC14 and #143CDC) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to lime green. The split complementary set (#14DC50 and #14A0DC) 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 #F594A7 to #590818. 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.

raspberry (#E30B5C) is about as light and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose raspberry if you need more weight and contrast; choose crimson if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.

folly (#FF004F) is about as light and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose folly if you want a softer, airier version; choose crimson if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.

brick red (#CB4154) is lighter (53% vs 47% lightness) and more muted, and shares almost the same hue. Choose brick red if you want a softer, airier version; choose crimson if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.

Swatches only tell half the story. Here crimson carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.

Red is the most urgent color: passion, energy, appetite and danger. Darker reds like burgundy and wine shift toward luxury and tradition.

Crimson comes from the kermes insect used to make red dye in medieval times. It is a deep, slightly blue red and a traditional color of universities and royalty.

Red is reserved for errors and destructive actions in most interfaces. If red is your brand color, keep it for marketing surfaces and give destructive actions an explicit label as well as a color.

Crimson pairs with gold, cream, navy and charcoal. It supports white text. Use it for confident brand moments, keeping your error red a different shade.