What color is #BB3A42?

#BB3A42 is a medium red. In RGB it is rgb(187, 58, 66), and in HSL hsl(356, 53%, 48%).

Is #BB3A42 accessible as text?

On white, #BB3A42 has a contrast ratio of 5.53:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 3.80:1 (fails). For text placed on #BB3A42, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BB3A42?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is rose-700 (#C70036).

What colors go well with #BB3A42?

#BB3A42 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #3ABBB3. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BB3A42 below.

Is #BB3A42 good for buttons?

#BB3A42 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #BB3A42 — black text only reaches 3.80:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BB3A42 the same as CSS firebrick?

No — #BB3A42 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.

#BB3A42 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BB3A42

Not just a swatch — here's how #BB3A42 works with other colors. Named schemes with #BB3A42 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #BB3A42 Secondary #B76327 Accent #787742 Surface #F4EBDD Anchor #3B2A21

This palette keeps Cardinal 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 #BB3A42 Anchor #3A2A21 Surface #F1E2D0 Accent #979664 Secondary #3C3833

Cardinal 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 #BB3A42 Secondary #7C4928 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #43503A Anchor #5A222F

Cardinal 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 #BB3A42 Surface #F3E6D6 Anchor #5F2037 Accent #E6C2C2 Secondary #332B2E

Cardinal 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 #BB3A42 Secondary #B98A89 Support #9B9087 Ink #17140F

Cardinal 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 Cardinal carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BB3A42 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 93/100

Warm

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

Softness 38/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 48/100

Moderate

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

Naturalness 54/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 57/100

Moderate

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

Luxury 50/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 45/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 98/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 11/100

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 #BB3A42

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BB3A42 with

Mulberry Copper Tiffany Blue Gainsboro Espresso

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 5.5:1. Use

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

Avoid beside #BB5C3A — 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 #BB3A42 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

Northwind Sign up

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: #BB3A42;
  --color-base-rgb: 187 58 66;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(53.9% 0.165 21.2);
  --color-50: #FCF3F3;
  --color-100: #F6DFE1;
  --color-200: #ECC1C4;
  --color-300: #DA959A;
  --color-400: #C56D73;
  --color-500: #A94C52;
  --color-600: #824044;
  --color-700: #5D3235;
  --color-800: #3D2425;
  --color-900: #261718;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  cardinal: {
    50: '#FCF3F3',
    100: '#F6DFE1',
    200: '#ECC1C4',
    300: '#DA959A',
    400: '#C56D73',
    500: '#A94C52',
    600: '#824044',
    700: '#5D3235',
    800: '#3D2425',
    900: '#261718',
  },
}

$base: #BB3A42;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FCF3F3;
$base-100: #F6DFE1;
$base-200: #ECC1C4;
$base-300: #DA959A;
$base-400: #C56D73;
$base-500: #A94C52;
$base-600: #824044;
$base-700: #5D3235;
$base-800: #3D2425;
$base-900: #261718;
$base-hover: #962E35;
$base-subtle: #E7C7C9;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BB3A42",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FCF3F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F6DFE1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#ECC1C4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#DA959A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#C56D73",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#A94C52",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#824044",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#5D3235",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3D2425",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#261718",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #BB3A42

Color Lab

Pairs with #BB3A42

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export