What color is #CB481C?

#CB481C is a medium, vivid brown. In RGB it is rgb(203, 72, 28), and in HSL hsl(15, 76%, 45%).

Is #CB481C accessible as text?

On white, #CB481C has a contrast ratio of 4.68:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 4.48:1 (fails). For text placed on #CB481C, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CB481C?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is orange-700 (#CA3500).

What colors go well with #CB481C?

#CB481C pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #1C9ECA. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CB481C below.

Is #CB481C good for buttons?

#CB481C works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #CB481C — black text only reaches 4.48:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CB481C the same as CSS indianred?

No — #CB481C is not the CSS named color indianred, but indianred (#CD5C5C) 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.

#CB481C Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CB481C

Not just a swatch — here's how #CB481C works with other colors. Named schemes with #CB481C in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CB481C Secondary #B66423 Accent #767743 Surface #F4ECDD Anchor #3B2A20

This palette keeps Mahogany 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 #CB481C Anchor #3A2A20 Surface #F0E2D0 Accent #959765 Secondary #3B3833

Mahogany 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 #CB481C Secondary #7B4926 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #42503B Anchor #5B222D

Mahogany 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 #CB481C Surface #F3E7D6 Anchor #5F2036 Accent #E6C2C1 Secondary #332B2D

Mahogany 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 #CB481C Secondary #C79789 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Mahogany 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 Mahogany carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #CB481C 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 99/100

Warm

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

Softness 39/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 44/100

Moderate

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

Naturalness 64/100

High

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

Vintage feel 51/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 46/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 47/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 92/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 15/100

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 #CB481C

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CB481C with

Cerise Goldenrod Bondi 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 4.7:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F2DBD4 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CA811C — 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 #CB481C 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: #CB481C;
  --color-base-rgb: 203 72 28;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(57.7% 0.175 37.4);
  --color-50: #FEF4F1;
  --color-100: #FBE2DA;
  --color-200: #F5C7B7;
  --color-300: #E99F87;
  --color-400: #D87A5A;
  --color-500: #BD5937;
  --color-600: #904932;
  --color-700: #663829;
  --color-800: #43271E;
  --color-900: #291914;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  mahogany: {
    50: '#FEF4F1',
    100: '#FBE2DA',
    200: '#F5C7B7',
    300: '#E99F87',
    400: '#D87A5A',
    500: '#BD5937',
    600: '#904932',
    700: '#663829',
    800: '#43271E',
    900: '#291914',
  },
}

$base: #CB481C;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FEF4F1;
$base-100: #FBE2DA;
$base-200: #F5C7B7;
$base-300: #E99F87;
$base-400: #D87A5A;
$base-500: #BD5937;
$base-600: #904932;
$base-700: #663829;
$base-800: #43271E;
$base-900: #291914;
$base-hover: #A23916;
$base-subtle: #EDC9BD;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CB481C",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF4F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FBE2DA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F5C7B7",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E99F87",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#D87A5A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#BD5937",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#904932",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#663829",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#43271E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#291914",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #CB481C

Color Lab

Pairs with #CB481C

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export