What color is #EC9181?

#EC9181 is a light, vivid red. In RGB it is rgb(236, 145, 129), and in HSL hsl(9, 74%, 72%).

Is #EC9181 accessible as text?

On white, #EC9181 has a contrast ratio of 2.35:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 8.93:1 (passes). For text placed on #EC9181, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #EC9181?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is red-300 (#FFA2A2).

What colors go well with #EC9181?

#EC9181 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #83DDEC. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #EC9181 below.

Is #EC9181 good for buttons?

#EC9181 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #EC9181 — white text only reaches 2.35:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #EC9181 the same as CSS darksalmon?

No — #EC9181 is not the CSS named color darksalmon, but darksalmon (#E9967A) 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.

#EC9181 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #EC9181

Not just a swatch — here's how #EC9181 works with other colors. Named schemes with #EC9181 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #EC9181 Secondary #B76325 Accent #777743 Surface #F4EBDD Anchor #3B2A21

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

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #EC9181 Surface #E3CEA8 Secondary #B17957 Accent #98976D Anchor #3E2C21

Dark Salmon holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #EC9181 Accent #ADC3B3 Surface #E6D7BE Secondary #9BA09E Anchor #28324B

Dark Salmon opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #EC9181 Surface #F0E9DC Highlight #F7F1E7 Secondary #BBAEA0 Ink #2B2723

Dark Salmon sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #EC9181 Secondary #F3D1CA Support #9B9186 Ink #17140F

Dark Salmon 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 Dark Salmon carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #EC9181 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 82/100

Warm

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

Softness 59/100

Moderate

Middle-weight — neither delicate nor heavy.

Depth 25/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 100/100

Very high

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

Vintage feel 60/100

High

Faded, nostalgic quality — editorial, heritage and retro work.

Luxury 33/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 44/100

Moderate

Recognisable but shares space with nearby hues.

UI accent fit 43/100

Moderate

Workable accent with care around contrast.

Surface fit 41/100

Moderate

Usable as a tinted surface in measured doses.

Print safety 88/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #EC9181

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #EC9181 with

Carnation Topaz Sky Blue Gainsboro Espresso

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AAA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 7.9:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F8EBE9 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #ECB683 — 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 #EC9181 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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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: #EC9181;
  --color-base-rgb: 236 145 129;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(74.7% 0.114 30.7);
  --color-50: #FEF3F1;
  --color-100: #FBDFDB;
  --color-200: #F4C1B8;
  --color-300: #E79688;
  --color-400: #D66E5C;
  --color-500: #BC4D39;
  --color-600: #8F4133;
  --color-700: #65322A;
  --color-800: #42241F;
  --color-900: #291815;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  dark-salmon: {
    50: '#FEF3F1',
    100: '#FBDFDB',
    200: '#F4C1B8',
    300: '#E79688',
    400: '#D66E5C',
    500: '#BC4D39',
    600: '#8F4133',
    700: '#65322A',
    800: '#42241F',
    900: '#291815',
  },
}

$base: #EC9181;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FEF3F1;
$base-100: #FBDFDB;
$base-200: #F4C1B8;
$base-300: #E79688;
$base-400: #D66E5C;
$base-500: #BC4D39;
$base-600: #8F4133;
$base-700: #65322A;
$base-800: #42241F;
$base-900: #291815;
$base-hover: #E35B43;
$base-subtle: #F6E1DE;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#EC9181",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FEF3F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#FBDFDB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#F4C1B8",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#E79688",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#D66E5C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#BC4D39",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#8F4133",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#65322A",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#42241F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#291815",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #EC9181

Color Lab

Pairs with #EC9181

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export