Nearest named color: Cardinal
#BF3245
#BF3245
Nearest named
Cardinal
Family
Red
Lightness
53.9%
Chroma
0.177
Hue angle
18.2°
Temperature
Warm
Contrast on white
5.59:1 · AA
Contrast on black
3.32:1 · AA Large
Web-safe
#CC3333
CSS oklch()
54% 0.18 18

#BF3245 is a mid-toned, warm red-orange. It carries a legible label as a UI accent and reproduces cleanly in print.

Palettes built on #BF3245

Not just a swatch — here's how #BF3245 works with other colors. Named schemes with #BF3245 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

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

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.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

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

Berry & Cream Lead · 5 colors

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

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

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.

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Color Lab

How #BF3245 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 37/100
Low
Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.
Depth 49/100
Moderate
Mid depth — usable as an accent or a muted ground.
Naturalness 40/100
Moderate
Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.
Vintage feel 50/100
Moderate
A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.
Luxury 49/100
Moderate
Understated — leans refined without going austere.
Brand distinctiveness 48/100
Moderate
Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.
UI accent fit 95/100
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 81/100
Very high
Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BF3245

For UI
For branding
For interior
For fashion
People also use #BF3245 with

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 5.6:1. Use
Subtle surface Use #EFD8DC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80
Avoid beside #BF4D31 — 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 #BF3245 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI
Northwind Sign up
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Dashboard
Revenue
$48.2k ▲ 12%
Brand
AVELINE
Studio
Poster
Nov 14 · 8PM
NIGHT
MARKET
Packaging
BLOOM
Botanical Wash
250 ml
Interior

Scales

ShadesBase darkened in 10% steps
TintsBase lifted toward white
TonesSaturation removed, lightness held
Monochromatic scaleDesign-system ready, 50–900

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #BF3245;
  --color-base-rgb: 191 50 69;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(53.9% 0.177 18.2);
  --color-50: #FCF2F4;
  --color-100: #F7DEE1;
  --color-200: #EEBEC5;
  --color-300: #DE929C;
  --color-400: #CA6875;
  --color-500: #AE4654;
  --color-600: #863C46;
  --color-700: #5F3036;
  --color-800: #3F2226;
  --color-900: #271719;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}