What color is #CD280E?

#CD280E is a medium, vivid red. In RGB it is rgb(205, 40, 14), and in HSL hsl(8, 87%, 43%).

Is #CD280E accessible as text?

On white, #CD280E has a contrast ratio of 5.38:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 3.91:1 (fails). For text placed on #CD280E, use white for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CD280E?

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

What colors go well with #CD280E?

#CD280E pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #0EB4CD. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CD280E below.

Is #CD280E good for buttons?

#CD280E works well for buttons and highlights, but use white text on #CD280E — black text only reaches 3.91:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CD280E the same as CSS crimson?

No — #CD280E is not the CSS named color crimson, but crimson (#DC143C) is the closest CSS named color.

#CD280E Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CD280E

Not just a swatch — here's how #CD280E works with other colors. Named schemes with #CD280E in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Sunset Warmth Glow · 5 colors

Glow #CD280E Secondary #E76F52 Accent #EA9C34 Anchor #5C3950 Surface #F4E8D6

Fire Engine Red 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 #CD280E Anchor #3A2A20 Surface #F0E2D0 Accent #969665 Secondary #3B3833

Fire Engine Red 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 #CD280E Secondary #7B4927 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #43503A Anchor #5A222E

Fire Engine Red 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 #CD280E Surface #F3E6D6 Anchor #5F2036 Accent #E6C2C1 Secondary #332B2D

Fire Engine Red 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 #CD280E Secondary #C38B80 Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Fire Engine Red 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 Fire Engine Red carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #CD280E 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 97/100

Warm

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

Softness 34/100

Low

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 48/100

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 38/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 47/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 78/100

High

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 85/100

Very high

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

Surface fit 12/100

Very low

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

Print safety 78/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CD280E

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CD280E with

Razzmatazz Dijon Light Sea Green 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 5.4:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F4D5D0 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #CD670E — 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 #CD280E 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: #CD280E;
  --color-base-rgb: 205 40 14;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(55.0% 0.203 31.5);
  --color-50: #FEF2F0;
  --color-100: #FDDDD8;
  --color-200: #FABCB3;
  --color-300: #F08E7F;
  --color-400: #E16451;
  --color-500: #C7422E;
  --color-600: #97392B;
  --color-700: #6B2E24;
  --color-800: #45211C;
  --color-900: #2A1613;
  --color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  fire-engine-red: {
    50: '#FEF2F0',
    100: '#FDDDD8',
    200: '#FABCB3',
    300: '#F08E7F',
    400: '#E16451',
    500: '#C7422E',
    600: '#97392B',
    700: '#6B2E24',
    800: '#45211C',
    900: '#2A1613',
  },
}

$base: #CD280E;
$base-ink: #FFFFFF;
$base-50: #FEF2F0;
$base-100: #FDDDD8;
$base-200: #FABCB3;
$base-300: #F08E7F;
$base-400: #E16451;
$base-500: #C7422E;
$base-600: #97392B;
$base-700: #6B2E24;
$base-800: #45211C;
$base-900: #2A1613;
$base-hover: #A4200B;
$base-subtle: #F0BEB7;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CD280E",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#FFFFFF",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF2F0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDDDD8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#FABCB3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#F08E7F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#E16451",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#C7422E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#97392B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#6B2E24",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#45211C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2A1613",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}