What color is #B23909?

#B23909 is a dark, vivid red-orange. In RGB it is rgb(178, 57, 9), and in HSL hsl(17, 90%, 37%).

Is #B23909 accessible as text?

On white, #B23909 has a contrast ratio of 6.03:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 3.48:1 (fails). For text placed on #B23909, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #B23909?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is amber-700 (#BB4D00).

What colors go well with #B23909?

#B23909 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #0983B3. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #B23909 below.

Is #B23909 good for buttons?

#B23909 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #B23909 — black text only reaches 3.48:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #B23909 the same as CSS firebrick?

No — #B23909 is not the CSS named color firebrick, but firebrick (#B22222) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#B23909 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #B23909

Not just a swatch — here's how #B23909 works with other colors. Named schemes with #B23909 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #B23909 Secondary #B66423 Accent #767843 Surface #F4ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

This palette keeps Rust as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #B23909 Anchor #3A2A20 Surface #F0E2D0 Accent #959765 Secondary #3B3833

Rust anchors this café scheme as the warm mid-tone, lifted by latte cream and a muted sage accent and grounded by espresso brown and a warm charcoal.

Vintage Leather Lead · 5 colors

Lead #B23909 Secondary #7B4926 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222D

Rust plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

Lead #B23909 Surface #F3E7D6 Anchor #5F2036 Accent #E6C2C1 Secondary #332B2D

Rust sits between cream and a deep berry here, softened by a blush accent and grounded by charcoal.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #B23909 Secondary #B18578 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Rust is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Rust carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #B23909 actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.

Warmth 98/100

Warm

Reads warm and advancing — inviting, energetic, draws the eye forward.

Softness 37/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 50/100

Moderate

Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.

Naturalness 76/100

High

Organic, earthy character — at home in wellness, food and craft brands.

Vintage feel 56/100

Moderate

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 52/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 45/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 97/100

Very high

Strong interactive accent — visible and can carry a legible label.

Surface fit 9/100

Very low

Too saturated or mid-toned for big areas — keep it to accents.

Print safety 82/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #B23909

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #B23909 with

Crimson Dijon Teal Blue Greige Taupe

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with white label. AA

Body text Passes on white at 16px and above. Pass

Large display Fine for headings 24px+ on white. Pass

Background Pair with white text at 6.0:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F4D6CA for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #B37209 — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #B23909 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

A working theme, generated in seconds.

Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #B23909;
  --color-base-rgb: 178 57 9;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(51.7% 0.165 37.8);
  --color-50: #FEF4F0;
  --color-100: #FDE2D8;
  --color-200: #FBC6B2;
  --color-300: #F29E7E;
  --color-400: #E3794F;
  --color-500: #CA582B;
  --color-600: #994929;
  --color-700: #6C3823;
  --color-800: #46271B;
  --color-900: #2B1912;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  rust: {
    50: '#FEF4F0',
    100: '#FDE2D8',
    200: '#FBC6B2',
    300: '#F29E7E',
    400: '#E3794F',
    500: '#CA582B',
    600: '#994929',
    700: '#6C3823',
    800: '#46271B',
    900: '#2B1912',
  },
}

$base: #B23909;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FEF4F0;
$base-100: #FDE2D8;
$base-200: #FBC6B2;
$base-300: #F29E7E;
$base-400: #E3794F;
$base-500: #CA582B;
$base-600: #994929;
$base-700: #6C3823;
$base-800: #46271B;
$base-900: #2B1912;
$base-hover: #8F2E08;
$base-subtle: #F0C1AE;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#B23909",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF4F0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDE2D8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#FBC6B2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#F29E7E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#E3794F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#CA582B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#994929",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#6C3823",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#46271B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2B1912",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #B23909

Color Lab

Pairs with #B23909

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export