Red color: code #FF0000

Red

#FF0000

Color codes

  • HEX#FF0000
  • RGBrgb(255, 0, 0)
  • HSLhsl(0, 100%, 50%)
  • HSVhsv(0, 100%, 100%)
  • CMYKcmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%)
  • LABlab(53.2% 80.1 67.2)
  • OKLCHoklch(62.8% 0.258 29.2)

About the color Red

Red has the HEX code #FF0000, which corresponds to rgb(255, 0, 0) in the RGB model. On the color wheel its hue sits at 0°, with 100% saturation and 50% lightness (hsl(0, 100%, 50%)).

Because of its hue it reads as a warm color: it tends to feel energetic and close, and it visually “advances” in a composition.

As a background it calls for dark text: black reaches a 5.25:1 contrast ratio on it, versus 3.99:1 for white.

For print, the approximate conversion is cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%). Always confirm with your printer’s color profile, because the result depends on paper and ink.

Lighter tints

Darker shades

Color combinations with Red

Complementary

#FF0000 · #00FFFF

Analogous

#FF0080 · #FF0000 · #FF8000

Triadic

#FF0000 · #00FF00 · #0000FF

Tetradic

#FF0000 · #80FF00 · #00FFFF · #8000FF

Split-complementary

#FF0000 · #00FF80 · #0080FF

Monochromatic

#800000 · #CC0000 · #FF0000 · #FF4D4D · #FF9999

Red with white and black text

White text Aa Bb Cc 123
3.99:1 · large text only
Black text Aa Bb Cc 123
5.25:1 · AA

Test other pairs in the contrast checker

Red #FF0000 is your monitor's R channel at full power with the other two switched off. It's the rawest red a screen can show, which is exactly why it rarely appears untouched in polished work: designers usually start from it and then adjust the lightness or nudge it toward orange or crimson.

Meaning and perception

Across much of the Western world, red reads as passion, energy, urgency and danger. Stop signs and traffic lights reinforce the alarm reading every day. In China and other East Asian cultures, red stands for luck and celebration and shows up at weddings and Lunar New Year, while in parts of South Africa it's associated with mourning. So treat any "meaning" as contextual: the same red sells a clearance sale in a shop window and flags an error in a form. The color psychology guide goes deeper.

Where red works

UI and web

Red is the default convention for errors, deletions and notification badges. Use it sparingly: if everything is red, nothing feels urgent. For destructive buttons ("Delete account"), a red slightly darker than #FF0000 feels serious without shouting.

Fashion and interiors

A red piece pulls the eye, so it works best as a focal point: lipstick, shoes, an armchair or a front door. For a full wall, deeper shades such as wine or marsala are easier to live with.

Print

In CMYK, red is built from 100% magenta and 100% yellow. The printed result is usually less luminous than on screen, so request a color proof before signing off on packaging or a poster.

What to pair it with

Contrast tip: white text on #FF0000 scores 4.0:1, below the WCAG minimum of 4.5:1 for body text. Black text reaches 5.25:1. If you need white text, darken the red to around #D00000 and test it in the contrast checker. Also keep in mind that people with red-green color blindness may not tell an error red from a success green, so pair the color with an icon or a label.

How to use it in CSS

:root {
  --color-red: #FF0000;
  --color-red-rgb: 255, 0, 0;
}

.elemento {
  background-color: var(--color-red);
  color: #000000;
}

Similar colors

Use Red in our tools