Folly Color Palette
Folly is hex #FF004F, rgb(255, 0, 79). Folly is a vivid pinkish red, between crimson and hot pink. It is bold and playful and reads as modern on screen.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Folly color codes
Reading the folly color codes
The hex code #FF004F is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. FF is 255, 00 is 0 and 4F is 79, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(255, 0, 79) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives folly its red character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 341 degrees places folly in the red part of the color wheel. Saturation of 100% makes it vivid, and lightness of 50% 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, 100% 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 folly for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Folly shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #FF004F, so you can use folly for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"folly": {
50: "#FFCCDC",
100: "#FFA3C0",
200: "#FF7AA3",
300: "#FF5287",
400: "#FF296B",
500: "#FF004F",
600: "#DD0044",
700: "#BA003A",
800: "#98002F",
900: "#760024",
950: "#530019",
},
},
},
}:root {
--folly-50: #FFCCDC;
--folly-100: #FFA3C0;
--folly-200: #FF7AA3;
--folly-300: #FF5287;
--folly-400: #FF296B;
--folly-500: #FF004F;
--folly-600: #DD0044;
--folly-700: #BA003A;
--folly-800: #98002F;
--folly-900: #760024;
--folly-950: #530019;
}A shade-by-shade guide to folly
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 (#FFCCDC) and 100 (#FFA3C0), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the folly mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#FF7AA3) and 300 (#FF5287) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where folly 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 500.
The darkest steps, 800 (#98002F) through 950 (#530019), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to folly. 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 folly
How the folly color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from folly is #00FFB0, 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. #FF00CE and #FF3100 sit 30 degrees either side of folly. 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 (#4FFF00 and #004FFF) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to chartreuse. The split complementary set (#00FF31 and #00CEFF) 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 #FF99B9 to #700023. 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.
Folly compared with similar colors
raspberry (#E30B5C) is about as light and more muted, and shares almost the same hue. Choose raspberry if you need more weight and contrast; choose folly if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
crimson (#DC143C) is about as light and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward red. Choose crimson if you need more weight and contrast; choose folly if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
brick red (#CB4154) is about as light and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward red. Choose brick red if you want a softer, airier version; choose folly if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Folly in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here folly carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using folly in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on folly reach 3.91:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 600 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid folly for body text on white; use step 600 or darker for links and headings that need to read as folly.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid mid-tone 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 folly. 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). Folly scores 3.91:1 against white (AA large) and 5.36:1 against black (AA). 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 folly alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What folly means
Pink ranges from tender and nostalgic (blush, dusty rose) to loud and confident (hot pink). It reads as warm, playful and approachable.
Folly is a vivid pinkish red. Like zomp and skobeloff it comes from extended named-color lists, and it is used when designers want something between crimson and hot pink.
Soft pinks work as surface tints and highlights; bold pinks work as a single accent. Avoid pink for error states unless it is clearly a red.
Where folly works best
- Fashion and beauty
- Dating and social apps
- Campaign accents
- Music and events
How to style folly
Folly pairs with navy, white, amber and blush. It supports white text at larger sizes. Use it for bold campaign accents, fashion and entertainment brands.
Build a UI with folly
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #FF004F as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Folly · History and definition of folly.
- 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 folly?
The hex code for folly used on this page is #FF004F. In RGB that is rgb(255, 0, 79), and in HSL it is hsl(341, 100%, 50%).
What colors go well with folly?
Folly pairs well with #FFE0EA, #FFFFFF, #1A1A2E (the Encore palette above). Its complementary color is #00FFB0, and analogous colors are #FF00CE and #FF3100.
Is folly a warm or cool color?
Folly is a warm color. Its hue sits at 341 degrees on the color wheel with 100% saturation.
Can I use folly for text?
Folly has a contrast ratio of 3.91:1 against white and 5.36:1 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 folly mean?
Pink ranges from tender and nostalgic (blush, dusty rose) to loud and confident (hot pink). It reads as warm, playful and approachable. Folly in particular is used for fashion and beauty and dating and social apps.
How do I use folly in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#FF004F] 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-folly-500 and text-folly-900.
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