What color is #CA2F42?

#CA2F42 is a medium red. In RGB it is rgb(202, 47, 66), and in HSL hsl(353, 62%, 49%).

Is #CA2F42 accessible as text?

On white, #CA2F42 has a contrast ratio of 5.25:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 4.00:1 (fails). For text placed on #CA2F42, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CA2F42?

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

What colors go well with #CA2F42?

#CA2F42 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #2FCAB8. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CA2F42 below.

Is #CA2F42 good for buttons?

#CA2F42 works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #CA2F42 — black text only reaches 4.00:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CA2F42 the same as CSS crimson?

No — #CA2F42 is not the CSS named color crimson, but crimson (#DC143C) is the closest CSS named color.

#CA2F42 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CA2F42

Not just a swatch — here's how #CA2F42 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CA2F42 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Sunset Warmth Glow · 5 colors

Glow #CA2F42 Secondary #E76E55 Accent #EB9B37 Anchor #5C3951 Surface #F5E8D6

Cardinal glows at the center of this sunset palette, joined by coral and gold, deepened by a plum anchor and cooled with cream.

Modern Café Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CA2F42 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 #CA2F42 Secondary #7C4928 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #434F3A 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 #CA2F42 Surface #F3E6D6 Anchor #5F2038 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 #CA2F42 Secondary #C38D8C 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 #CA2F42 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 36/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 47/100

Moderate

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

Naturalness 32/100

Low

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 44/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 47/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 73/100

High

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 90/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 13/100

Very low

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

Print safety 79/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CA2F42

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CA2F42 with

Mulberry Ochre Robin Egg 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 5.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1D9DC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CA512F — 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 #CA2F42 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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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

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #CA2F42;
  --color-base-rgb: 202 47 66;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(55.5% 0.190 19.8);
  --color-50: #FDF2F3;
  --color-100: #F8DDE0;
  --color-200: #EFBDC3;
  --color-300: #E09099;
  --color-400: #CC6672;
  --color-500: #B14451;
  --color-600: #873A43;
  --color-700: #602E34;
  --color-800: #3F2225;
  --color-900: #271618;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  cardinal: {
    50: '#FDF2F3',
    100: '#F8DDE0',
    200: '#EFBDC3',
    300: '#E09099',
    400: '#CC6672',
    500: '#B14451',
    600: '#873A43',
    700: '#602E34',
    800: '#3F2225',
    900: '#271618',
  },
}

$base: #CA2F42;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FDF2F3;
$base-100: #F8DDE0;
$base-200: #EFBDC3;
$base-300: #E09099;
$base-400: #CC6672;
$base-500: #B14451;
$base-600: #873A43;
$base-700: #602E34;
$base-800: #3F2225;
$base-900: #271618;
$base-hover: #A22634;
$base-subtle: #EAC6CA;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CA2F42",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FDF2F3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F8DDE0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#EFBDC3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E09099",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#CC6672",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#B14451",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#873A43",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#602E34",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#3F2225",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#271618",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CA2F42

Color Lab

Pairs with #CA2F42

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export