What color is #EC040B?

#EC040B is a medium, vivid red. In RGB it is rgb(236, 4, 11), and in HSL hsl(358, 97%, 47%).

Is #EC040B accessible as text?

On white, #EC040B has a contrast ratio of 4.58:1 (passes WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 4.59:1 (passes). For text placed on #EC040B, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #EC040B?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is red-600 (#E7000B).

What colors go well with #EC040B?

#EC040B pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #04ECE4. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #EC040B below.

Is #EC040B good for buttons?

#EC040B works for buttons; black text has the higher contrast, so prefer it for labels.

Is #EC040B the same as CSS red?

No — #EC040B is not the CSS named color red, but red (#FF0000) is the closest CSS named color.

#EC040B Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #EC040B

Not just a swatch — here's how #EC040B works with other colors. Named schemes with #EC040B in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Sunset Warmth Glow · 5 colors

Glow #EC040B Secondary #E76F53 Accent #EA9C35 Anchor #5C3950 Surface #F4E8D6

Imperial 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 #EC040B Anchor #3A2A21 Surface #F0E2D0 Accent #969664 Secondary #3C3833

Imperial 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 #EC040B Secondary #7B4927 Surface #EAD9C0 Accent #43503A Anchor #5A222E

Imperial 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 #EC040B Surface #F3E6D6 Anchor #5F2037 Accent #E6C2C1 Secondary #332B2D

Imperial 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 #EC040B Secondary #D9958A Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Imperial 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 Imperial Red carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #EC040B 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 32/100

Low

Firm and assertive — carries weight and contrast.

Depth 45/100

Moderate

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

Naturalness 9/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 16/100

Very low

Clean and current — no dusty, aged cast.

Luxury 41/100

Moderate

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 93/100

Very high

Bold and ownable — memorable as a primary brand color.

UI accent fit 62/100

High

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

Surface fit 16/100

Very low

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

Print safety 74/100

High

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #EC040B

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #EC040B with

Deep Pink Tangerine 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 4.6:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F7D1D2 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #EC4904 — 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 #EC040B at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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:root {
  --color-base: #EC040B;
  --color-base-rgb: 236 4 11;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(59.3% 0.242 28.7);
  --color-50: #FEF0F1;
  --color-100: #FDD8D9;
  --color-200: #FCB1B3;
  --color-300: #F6797D;
  --color-400: #E9494E;
  --color-500: #D0252B;
  --color-600: #9D2529;
  --color-700: #6F2023;
  --color-800: #48191B;
  --color-900: #2C1112;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  imperial-red: {
    50: '#FEF0F1',
    100: '#FDD8D9',
    200: '#FCB1B3',
    300: '#F6797D',
    400: '#E9494E',
    500: '#D0252B',
    600: '#9D2529',
    700: '#6F2023',
    800: '#48191B',
    900: '#2C1112',
  },
}

$base: #EC040B;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEF0F1;
$base-100: #FDD8D9;
$base-200: #FCB1B3;
$base-300: #F6797D;
$base-400: #E9494E;
$base-500: #D0252B;
$base-600: #9D2529;
$base-700: #6F2023;
$base-800: #48191B;
$base-900: #2C1112;
$base-hover: #BD0309;
$base-subtle: #F4B9BB;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#EC040B",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF0F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FDD8D9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#FCB1B3",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#F6797D",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#E9494E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#D0252B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#9D2529",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#6F2023",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#48191B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#2C1112",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #EC040B

Color Lab

Pairs with #EC040B

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export