Tints & Shades
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Scale from white (50) through Cardinal (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #C41E3A
- RGB
- rgb(196, 30, 58)
- HSL
- hsl(350, 73%, 44%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.531 0.197 20)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 85%, 70%, 23%)
--color-cardinalbg-[#C41E3A]Accessibility
Score: 54/100On White (#FFF)
5.84:1
On Black (#000)
3.59:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
5.36:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #C41E3A
color: #C41E3A
bg-[#C41E3A] text-[#FFFFFF]
border-left: 4px solid #C41E3A
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Ocean Green
#4E9B8F
Split-Complementary
Similar Colors
Color Meaning & Psychology
Red is the most emotionally intense color in the spectrum. It stimulates the nervous system, accelerates respiration, and increases heart rate. Red commands attention through associations with blood, fire, danger, and passion — making it the dominant choice for warnings, calls-to-action, and brand identities that must stand out instantly. In food culture, red stimulates appetite. In romance, it signals desire. In sport, studies show red-clad competitors win more often. However, overuse creates aggression. The most effective red designs use it sparingly as a focal accent. Its deeper, richer tone gives it gravitas and sophistication, making it well-suited for primary brand colors, typography, and contexts where authority matters.
Industry Usage
Common contexts and industries where Cardinal is applied in professional design.
- Emergency alerts and warning systems
- Food and beverage brands (appetite stimulation)
- Sports teams and athletic wear
- Calls-to-action and "Buy Now" buttons
- Pharmaceutical packaging for urgent medications
- Entertainment and gaming brands
- Automotive brands emphasizing power and performance
- Retail sale and clearance signage
Accessibility Considerations
Normal Text
Passes AA
4.5:1 minimum required
Large Text
Passes AA Large
3:1 minimum required
UI Components
Meets 1.4.11
3:1 for non-text UI
Cardinal is a dark color. Use white (#FFFFFF) text on top of it for maximum readability (5.84:1). Avoid small black text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #C41E3A;Text
color: #C41E3A;Border
border: 2px solid #C41E3A;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #C41E3A40;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #C41E3A, #fd5964);Tailwind-style
--color-cardinal: #C41E3A;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Cardinal without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#C41E3A]Text
text-[#C41E3A]Border
border-[#C41E3A]Ring
ring-[#C41E3A]Fill
fill-[#C41E3A]From (gradient)
from-[#C41E3A]Via (gradient)
via-[#C41E3A]To (gradient)
to-[#C41E3A]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Cardinal design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-cardinal: #C41E3A;
--color-cardinal-rgb: 196, 30, 58;
--color-cardinal-hsl: 350, 73%, 44%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-cardinal: #C41E3A; $color-cardinal-rgb: 196, 30, 58; $color-cardinal-hsl: 350, 73%, 44%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'cardinal': '#C41E3A',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-cardinal: #C41E3A;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"cardinal": {
"value": "#C41E3A",
"type": "color",
"description": "Cardinal — #C41E3A"
}
}More red colors
View all →What Does Cardinal Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Cardinal (#C41E3A) sits in a wavelength range that triggers a measurable physiological response: elevated heart rate, heightened attention, and faster reaction times. Designers use this biological leverage when they need an immediate sense of excitement.
- In Western cultures red denotes importance (red carpets), danger (stop signs), love (Valentine's Day), and financial loss ("in the red")—a dual symbolism of celebration and warning that designers leverage depending on context.
- Across China, India, and much of Southeast Asia, red is the color of luck, prosperity, and celebration. It dominates weddings, Lunar New Year, and auspicious occasions, carrying exactly the opposite of its Western "danger" connotation.
- Cardinal's medium lightness (44%) shifts its psychological register: a balanced mid-tone that embodies energy, passion, urgency, and power at its most direct.
- At 73% saturation, Cardinal reads as moderately saturated—neither overwhelming nor passive, landing in the energy, passion, urgency, and power zone with measured confidence.
The rule with Cardinal is intent—when it appears, it should carry meaning. Urgency, passion, importance. Never filler.
How to Use Cardinal in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
Cardinal rewards restraint in design. Used at full-surface scale it creates urgency that borders on stress; deployed as a targeted accent—a button, a badge, a border—it creates the focused emphasis that drives conversions.
- UI components: primary action buttons, error and destructive states, delete confirmations—Cardinal performs reliably in all these roles with its medium tonal character.
- Brand & identity: call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where Cardinal's moderately saturated quality creates the right register.
- Typography: Cardinal works as a background behind white text but requires careful sizing—test at intended heading and body sizes before finalizing.
- As a dark tone, Cardinal creates maximum contrast with white and light neutrals—excellent for creating premium dark-mode sections, bold headers, and high-drama brand moments
- Proportional use: Cardinal's moderately saturated saturation (73%) means small applications—accents, highlights, icons—deliver maximum impact without visual fatigue. Reserve large-scale use for intentional brand moments.
The rule with Cardinal is intent—when it appears, it should carry meaning. Urgency, passion, importance. Never filler.
Cardinal Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Cardinal (#C41E3A) reaches 5.84:1 contrast with white text—meeting WCAG 2.1 AA minimum of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. It clears standard production accessibility requirements. Relative luminance: 13.0%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 5.84:1 — AA ✓
- As text on black (#000000): 3.59:1 — AA (large text only)
- Best text color on Cardinal background: White (#FFFFFF) at 5.84:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 13.0% — low luminance (dark)—it provides strong contrast for white and light overlaid text, functioning well as a background in dark-mode and header contexts
- Cardinal qualifies for normal body text and all larger sizes (AA).
- Color blindness consideration: protanopia and deuteranopia (red-green color blindness, ~8% of males) may affect how red-family colors are distinguished from greens and browns. For critical UI states, supplement color alone with shape, label, or pattern cues.
For production use, test Cardinal against your specific background colors rather than assuming #FFFFFF or #000000 performance translates. Surrounding colors alter perceived contrast.
Cardinal in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Cardinal (#C41E3A) is most at home in industries where energy, passion, urgency, and power are key brand values. Its medium quality makes it particularly effective in Food & Beverage contexts, where the moderately saturated saturation signals power at exactly the right register.
- Food & Beverage: Red stimulates appetite and accelerates purchase decisions. Fast food chains, hot sauce brands, and snack packaging use it deliberately because it increases caloric craving and speeds up decision-making at point of sale. (examples: Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Blue Bottle Coffee) Avoid in fine dining or health-food contexts where a slower, more mindful experience is the goal.
- Retail & E-commerce: The "red sale tag" is a globally conditioned retail convention. Red signals scarcity and urgency, making it the universal shorthand for clearance events, limited-time offers, and price callouts. (examples: Shopify merchant sites, ASOS, H&M) Overuse exhausts the urgency signal—reserve it for genuinely time-limited promotions.
- Sports & Entertainment: Red communicates competition, athletic energy, and tribal passion. From team jerseys to arena signage, it energizes crowds and aligns with the visceral intensity sports brands want to project. (examples: Disney+, Hulu, Netflix) Works best paired with black or white for maximum contrast and visual impact.
- Brand positioning: Cardinal is best suited for brands projecting energy, passion, importance. Categories outside this positioning—financial dashboards (loss association)—tend to see weaker results.
- Adjacent applications: Beyond primary industries, Cardinal works effectively in call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where power serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
The industries where Cardinal performs best are those where the audience expects power. Build brand strategy around this alignment, not against it.
Accessibility & Design Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the hex code for Cardinal? ▾
- The hex code for Cardinal is #C41E3A. Its RGB values are rgb(196, 30, 58) and its HSL values are hsl(350, 73%, 44%).
- What does Cardinal mean in design? ▾
- Red is the most emotionally intense color in the spectrum. It stimulates the nervous system, accelerates respiration, and increases heart rate. Red commands attention through associations with blood, fire, danger, and passion — making it the dominant choice for warnings, calls-to-action, and brand identities that must stand out instantly. In food culture, red stimulates appetite. In romance, it signals desire. In sport, studies show red-clad competitors win more often. However, overuse creates aggression. The most effective red designs use it sparingly as a focal accent. Its deeper, richer tone gives it gravitas and sophistication, making it well-suited for primary brand colors, typography, and contexts where authority matters.
- Is Cardinal WCAG accessible? ▾
- Cardinal (#C41E3A) passes WCAG AA on white with a 5.84:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 54/100.
- What colors go well with Cardinal? ▾
- Cardinal pairs well with its complementary color Ocean Green (#4E9B8F). Analogous colors like Rose Pink and Cotton Candy also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Cardinal used for? ▾
- Cardinal is commonly used for: Emergency alerts and warning systems; Food and beverage brands (appetite stimulation); Sports teams and athletic wear; Calls-to-action and "Buy Now" buttons; Pharmaceutical packaging for urgent medications.
- What are the CSS and Tailwind values for Cardinal? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #C41E3A` or `background-color: #C41E3A`. The CSS custom property is `--color-cardinal: #C41E3A`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#C41E3A]` for backgrounds or `text-[#C41E3A]` for text.