Tints & Shades
50
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Scale from white (50) through Crimson (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #DC143C
- RGB
- rgb(220, 20, 60)
- HSL
- hsl(348, 83%, 47%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.571 0.222 20)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 91%, 73%, 14%)
--color-crimsonbg-[#DC143C]Accessibility
Score: 54/100On White (#FFF)
4.99:1
On Black (#000)
4.21:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
4.58:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #DC143C
color: #DC143C
bg-[#DC143C] text-[#FFFFFF]
border-left: 4px solid #DC143C
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Bright Teal
#01F9C6
Split-Complementary
Similar Colors
Color Meaning & Psychology
Crimson carries the history of exclusivity — derived from the kermes insect dye, it was the color of medieval nobility and church hierarchy. Today it sits at the intersection of passion and power, carried by Harvard, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Its deeper tone gives it more gravitas than pure red, making it suited to established institutions.
Industry Usage
Common contexts and industries where Crimson is applied in professional design.
- Elite university identity systems (Harvard, Stanford)
- Football and rugby team branding
- Luxury red wine and premium beverage labels
- Formal state and ceremonial occasions
- Medical blood bank and donation campaigns
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
Crimson is a dark color. Use white (#FFFFFF) text on top of it for maximum readability (4.99:1). Avoid small black text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #DC143C;Text
color: #DC143C;Border
border: 2px solid #DC143C;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #DC143C40;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #DC143C, #ff5966);Tailwind-style
--color-crimson: #DC143C;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Crimson without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#DC143C]Text
text-[#DC143C]Border
border-[#DC143C]Ring
ring-[#DC143C]Fill
fill-[#DC143C]From (gradient)
from-[#DC143C]Via (gradient)
via-[#DC143C]To (gradient)
to-[#DC143C]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Crimson design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-crimson: #DC143C;
--color-crimson-rgb: 220, 20, 60;
--color-crimson-hsl: 348, 83%, 47%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-crimson: #DC143C; $color-crimson-rgb: 220, 20, 60; $color-crimson-hsl: 348, 83%, 47%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'crimson': '#DC143C',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-crimson: #DC143C;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"crimson": {
"value": "#DC143C",
"type": "color",
"description": "Crimson — #DC143C"
}
}Related Palettes & Combinations
Color Combinations
Accessible Color Pairs
More red colors
View all →What Does Crimson Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Red-family hues occupy the long-wavelength end of the visible spectrum—the zone the human visual system evolved to associate with fire, ripe fruit, and blood. That ancient conditioning translates directly into the psychology of Crimson: an immediate register of energy, processed before conscious thought.
- 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.
- Crimson's medium lightness (47%) shifts its psychological register: a balanced mid-tone that embodies energy, passion, urgency, and power at its most direct.
- At 83% saturation, Crimson reads as vivid—Pure saturated reds are physiologically stimulating, triggering faster heart rate and heightened alertness—among the most attention-commanding tones in human visual perception.
Crimson earns its place in a palette by doing something specific. Deploy it with that purpose in mind and it will deliver.
How to Use Crimson in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
Print and packaging designers reach for Crimson when shelf visibility is critical. Red-family hues register first in complex visual environments, making them invaluable for products competing for attention at retail.
- UI components: primary action buttons, error and destructive states, delete confirmations—Crimson performs reliably in all these roles with its medium tonal character.
- Brand & identity: call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where Crimson's vivid quality creates the right register.
- Typography: Crimson works as a background behind white text but requires careful sizing—test at intended heading and body sizes before finalizing.
- As a dark tone, Crimson creates maximum contrast with white and light neutrals—excellent for creating premium dark-mode sections, bold headers, and high-drama brand moments
- Proportional use: Crimson's vivid saturation (83%) means small applications—accents, highlights, icons—deliver maximum impact without visual fatigue. Reserve large-scale use for intentional brand moments.
Crimson earns its place in a palette by doing something specific. Deploy it with that purpose in mind and it will deliver.
Crimson Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Crimson (#DC143C) reaches 4.99:1 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: 16.0%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 4.99:1 — AA ✓
- As text on black (#000000): 4.21:1 — AA (large text only)
- Best text color on Crimson background: White (#FFFFFF) at 4.99:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 16.0% — low luminance (dark)—it provides strong contrast for white and light overlaid text, functioning well as a background in dark-mode and header contexts
- Crimson 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.
Crimson's WCAG profile makes it a compliant choice for most text applications.
Crimson in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Across industry research, red-family tones consistently outperform competitors in categories built on energy, passion, urgency, and power. Crimson is a medium expression of this advantage—best positioned in Food & Beverage and adjacent markets.
- 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: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, 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: Target, H&M, ASOS) 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: Spotify, Netflix, Hulu) Works best paired with black or white for maximum contrast and visual impact.
- Brand positioning: Crimson is best suited for brands projecting excitement, urgency, importance. Categories outside this positioning—financial dashboards (loss association)—tend to see weaker results.
- Adjacent applications: Beyond primary industries, Crimson works effectively in error states, notification badges, sports branding—contexts where excitement serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
Crimson earns its strongest ROI in industries where trust and recognition compound over time: Food & Beverage, Retail & E-commerce, Sports & Entertainment. Use it to build the kind of brand recognition that decades reinforce.
Accessibility & Design Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the hex code for Crimson? ▾
- The hex code for Crimson is #DC143C. Its RGB values are rgb(220, 20, 60) and its HSL values are hsl(348, 83%, 47%).
- What does Crimson mean in design? ▾
- Crimson carries the history of exclusivity — derived from the kermes insect dye, it was the color of medieval nobility and church hierarchy. Today it sits at the intersection of passion and power, carried by Harvard, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Its deeper tone gives it more gravitas than pure red, making it suited to established institutions.
- Is Crimson WCAG accessible? ▾
- Crimson (#DC143C) passes WCAG AA on white with a 4.99:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 54/100.
- What colors go well with Crimson? ▾
- Crimson pairs well with its complementary color Bright Teal (#01F9C6). Analogous colors like Opera Mauve and Thulian Pink also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Crimson used for? ▾
- Crimson is commonly used for: Elite university identity systems (Harvard, Stanford); Football and rugby team branding; Luxury red wine and premium beverage labels; Formal state and ceremonial occasions; Medical blood bank and donation campaigns.
- What are the CSS and Tailwind values for Crimson? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #DC143C` or `background-color: #DC143C`. The CSS custom property is `--color-crimson: #DC143C`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#DC143C]` for backgrounds or `text-[#DC143C]` for text.