Salmon Color Palette
Salmon is hex #FA8072, rgb(250, 128, 114). Salmon is a pinkish orange named after salmon flesh. It is a CSS named color and sits between coral and pink.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Salmon color codes
Reading the salmon color codes
The hex code #FA8072 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. FA is 250, 80 is 128 and 72 is 114, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(250, 128, 114) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives salmon its red character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 6 degrees places salmon in the red part of the color wheel. Saturation of 93% makes it vivid, and lightness of 71% 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, 49% magenta, 54% yellow and 2% 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 salmon for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Salmon shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #FA8072, so you can use salmon for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"salmon": {
50: "#FEE2DE",
100: "#FDC9C3",
200: "#FCB1A8",
300: "#FB988D",
400: "#FA8072",
500: "#DD7063",
600: "#C05F54",
700: "#A34F45",
800: "#863F37",
900: "#692F28",
950: "#4D1E19",
},
},
},
}:root {
--salmon-50: #FEE2DE;
--salmon-100: #FDC9C3;
--salmon-200: #FCB1A8;
--salmon-300: #FB988D;
--salmon-400: #FA8072;
--salmon-500: #DD7063;
--salmon-600: #C05F54;
--salmon-700: #A34F45;
--salmon-800: #863F37;
--salmon-900: #692F28;
--salmon-950: #4D1E19;
}A shade-by-shade guide to salmon
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 (#FEE2DE) and 100 (#FDC9C3), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the salmon mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#FCB1A8) and 300 (#FB988D) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where salmon 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 (#863F37) through 950 (#4D1E19), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to salmon. 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 salmon
How the salmon color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from salmon is #72ECFA, which sits closest to electric blue 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. #FA72A8 and #FAC472 sit 30 degrees either side of salmon. 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 (#72FA80 and #8072FA) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to mint green. The split complementary set (#72FAC4 and #72A8FA) 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 #FEDCD8 to #D61D08. 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.
Salmon compared with similar colors
coral (#FF7F50) is darker (66% vs 71% lightness) and more saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward orange. Choose coral if you need more weight and contrast; choose salmon if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
terracotta (#E2725B) is darker (62% vs 71% lightness) and more muted, and shares almost the same hue. Choose terracotta if you need more weight and contrast; choose salmon if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
burnt sienna (#E97451) is darker (62% vs 71% lightness) and more muted, and leans further around the wheel toward red. Choose burnt sienna if you need more weight and contrast; choose salmon if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Salmon in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here salmon carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using salmon in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on salmon only reach 2.5:1, so use dark text (8.4:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid salmon for body text on white; use step 700 or darker for links and headings that need to read as salmon.
- 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 salmon. 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). Salmon 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 salmon alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What salmon means
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast.
Salmon is named after the color of salmon flesh. It is one of the CSS named colors and has had fashion moments from the 1980s to today as a softer alternative to coral.
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 salmon works best
- Restaurants and seafood
- Fashion
- Retro design
- Warm accents in neutral UIs
How to style salmon
Salmon pairs with navy, mint, cream and grey. It needs dark text at body sizes. Use it for warm accents and illustration, or as a friendly button color with dark text.
Build a UI with salmon
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #FA8072 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Salmon · History and definition of salmon.
- 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 salmon?
The hex code for salmon used on this page is #FA8072. In RGB that is rgb(250, 128, 114), and in HSL it is hsl(6, 93%, 71%).
What colors go well with salmon?
Salmon pairs well with #FDE2DD, #FFFFFF, #1D3557 (the Catch of the Day palette above). Its complementary color is #72ECFA, and analogous colors are #FA72A8 and #FAC472.
Is salmon a warm or cool color?
Salmon is a warm color. Its hue sits at 6 degrees on the color wheel with 93% saturation.
Can I use salmon for text?
Salmon 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 salmon mean?
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast. Salmon in particular is used for restaurants and seafood and fashion.
How do I use salmon in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#FA8072] 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-salmon-500 and text-salmon-900.
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