Terracotta Color Palette
Terracotta is hex #E2725B, rgb(226, 114, 91). Terracotta is the burnt orange-brown of fired clay. It feels earthy and handmade, and it pairs naturally with sand, olive and cream for warm Mediterranean palettes.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Terracotta color codes
Reading the terracotta color codes
The hex code #E2725B is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. E2 is 226, 72 is 114 and 5B is 91, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(226, 114, 91) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives terracotta its red character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 10 degrees places terracotta in the red part of the color wheel. Saturation of 70% makes it vivid, and lightness of 62% 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, 60% yellow and 11% 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 terracotta for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Terracotta shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #E2725B, so you can use terracotta for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"terracotta": {
50: "#F8DED9",
100: "#F3C3B9",
200: "#EDA89A",
300: "#E88D7A",
400: "#E2725B",
500: "#C86450",
600: "#AD5644",
700: "#934839",
800: "#793A2E",
900: "#5F2C22",
950: "#441E17",
},
},
},
}:root {
--terracotta-50: #F8DED9;
--terracotta-100: #F3C3B9;
--terracotta-200: #EDA89A;
--terracotta-300: #E88D7A;
--terracotta-400: #E2725B;
--terracotta-500: #C86450;
--terracotta-600: #AD5644;
--terracotta-700: #934839;
--terracotta-800: #793A2E;
--terracotta-900: #5F2C22;
--terracotta-950: #441E17;
}A shade-by-shade guide to terracotta
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 (#F8DED9) and 100 (#F3C3B9), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the terracotta mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#EDA89A) and 300 (#E88D7A) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where terracotta 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 (#793A2E) through 950 (#441E17), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to terracotta. 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 terracotta
How the terracotta color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from terracotta is #5BCBE2, 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. #E25B88 and #E2B65B sit 30 degrees either side of terracotta. 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 (#5BE272 and #725BE2) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to emerald green. The split complementary set (#5BE2B5 and #5B88E2) 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 #F9E1DC to #942F1A. 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.
Terracotta compared with similar colors
burnt sienna (#E97451) is about as light and more saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose burnt sienna if you need more weight and contrast; choose terracotta if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
coral (#FF7F50) is about as light and more saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward orange. Choose coral if you want a softer, airier version; choose terracotta if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
salmon (#FA8072) is lighter (71% vs 62% lightness) and more saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose salmon if you want a softer, airier version; choose terracotta if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Terracotta in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here terracotta carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using terracotta in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on terracotta reach 3.09:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 600 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid terracotta for body text on white; use step 600 or darker for links and headings that need to read as terracotta.
- 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 terracotta. 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). Terracotta scores 3.09:1 against white (AA large) and 6.79:1 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 terracotta alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What terracotta means
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast.
Terracotta means 'baked earth' in Italian and describes unglazed fired clay, used for pots, roof tiles and sculpture for thousands of years, from the Chinese Terracotta Army to Mediterranean architecture. As a color it carries that handmade, sun-warmed character, and it has become a signature of modern earthy and boho palettes.
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 terracotta works best
- Home and ceramics brands
- Restaurants and cafes
- Boho and Mediterranean interiors
- Sustainable fashion
How to style terracotta
Terracotta looks best with sand, cream, olive, sage and deep teal. It clashes with icy blues and bright purples. On screen, it is strong enough for buttons and highlights, but test white text carefully; a deeper terracotta shade usually passes contrast better than the base color. Large terracotta backgrounds feel warm and cozy, so reserve them for hero sections rather than whole pages.
Build a UI with terracotta
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #E2725B as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Terracotta · History and definition of terracotta.
- 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 terracotta?
The hex code for terracotta used on this page is #E2725B. In RGB that is rgb(226, 114, 91), and in HSL it is hsl(10, 70%, 62%).
What colors go well with terracotta?
Terracotta pairs well with #F3D9C7, #FBF6EF, #6B705C (the Fired Clay palette above). Its complementary color is #5BCBE2, and analogous colors are #E25B88 and #E2B65B.
Is terracotta a warm or cool color?
Terracotta is a warm color. Its hue sits at 10 degrees on the color wheel with 70% saturation.
Can I use terracotta for text?
Terracotta has a contrast ratio of 3.09:1 against white and 6.79:1 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 terracotta mean?
Orange is warm, social and energetic. Earthy oranges (rust, terracotta, burnt orange) feel grounded and handmade; bright oranges feel playful and fast. Terracotta in particular is used for home and ceramics brands and restaurants and cafes.
How do I use terracotta in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#E2725B] 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-terracotta-500 and text-terracotta-900.
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