Tints & Shades
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Scale from white (50) through Deep Red (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #6E1010
- RGB
- rgb(110, 16, 16)
- HSL
- hsl(0, 75%, 25%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.349 0.128 27)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 85%, 85%, 57%)
--color-deep-redbg-[#6E1010]Accessibility
Score: 96/100On White (#FFF)
12.04:1
On Black (#000)
1.74:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
11.04:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #6E1010
color: #6E1010
bg-[#6E1010] text-[#FFFFFF]
border-left: 4px solid #6E1010
Color Harmonies
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 Deep Red 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
Deep Red is a dark color. Use white (#FFFFFF) text on top of it for maximum readability (12.04:1). Avoid small black text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #6E1010;Text
color: #6E1010;Border
border: 2px solid #6E1010;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #6E101040;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #6E1010, #a24136);Tailwind-style
--color-deep-red: #6E1010;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Deep Red without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#6E1010]Text
text-[#6E1010]Border
border-[#6E1010]Ring
ring-[#6E1010]Fill
fill-[#6E1010]From (gradient)
from-[#6E1010]Via (gradient)
via-[#6E1010]To (gradient)
to-[#6E1010]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Deep Red design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-deep-red: #6E1010;
--color-deep-red-rgb: 110, 16, 16;
--color-deep-red-hsl: 0, 75%, 25%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-deep-red: #6E1010; $color-deep-red-rgb: 110, 16, 16; $color-deep-red-hsl: 0, 75%, 25%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'deep-red': '#6E1010',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-deep-red: #6E1010;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"deep-red": {
"value": "#6E1010",
"type": "color",
"description": "Deep Red — #6E1010"
}
}More red colors
View all →What Does Deep Red Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Deep Red (#6E1010) 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.
- Across color psychology research, red consistently tests high for "energy" associations, making Deep Red a reliable vehicle for excitement in cross-demographic audiences.
- Brand designers draw on red-family tones to project excitement and urgency—values that Deep Red communicates in a deep key.
- At 75% saturation, Deep Red reads as moderately saturated—neither overwhelming nor passive, landing in the energy, passion, urgency, and power zone with measured confidence.
- Deep Red's deep lightness (25%) shifts its psychological register: Deep crimsons and burgundies shift urgency toward sophistication, authority, and depth—better for premium positioning than quick-reaction signals.
For designers, Deep Red is a precision instrument: powerful in small doses, overwhelming at scale. Restraint is its best amplifier.
How to Use Deep Red in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
In digital interfaces, Deep Red functions as a high-attention accent rather than a dominant tone. Even at small proportions, its moderately saturated saturation (75%) carries enough visual weight to direct the eye precisely where needed.
- Avoid: financial dashboards (loss association), environmental brands (conflicts with green identity), and medical UIs where red exclusively signals critical alerts.
- Color harmonies: Deep Red's complementary color creates a high-energy split ideal for promotional design; its analogous palette (±30° hue) builds cohesive, monochromatic sophistication.
- Proportional use: Deep Red's moderately saturated saturation (75%) means small applications—accents, highlights, icons—deliver maximum impact without visual fatigue. Reserve large-scale use for intentional brand moments.
- As a dark tone, Deep Red creates maximum contrast with white and light neutrals—excellent for creating premium dark-mode sections, bold headers, and high-drama brand moments
- Typography: Deep Red works as a background behind white text but requires careful sizing—test at intended heading and body sizes before finalizing.
For designers, Deep Red is a precision instrument: powerful in small doses, overwhelming at scale. Restraint is its best amplifier.
Deep Red Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Deep Red (#6E1010) achieves a 12.04:1 contrast ratio with white text, surpassing the WCAG 2.1 AAA threshold of 7:1. This exceptional contrast qualifies it for body text, UI components at any size, and all accessibility-sensitive interface contexts. Relative luminance: 3.7%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 12.04:1 — AAA ✓
- As text on black (#000000): 1.74:1 — Fail
- Best text color on Deep Red background: White (#FFFFFF) at 12.04:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 3.7% — low luminance (dark)—it provides strong contrast for white and light overlaid text, functioning well as a background in dark-mode and header contexts
- Deep Red qualifies for all text sizes including small body copy (AAA).
- 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.
Always verify Deep Red at its final intended size and weight using a real contrast checker—font weight and rendering environment affect perceived legibility beyond what raw ratios capture.
Deep Red in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Deep Red's brand positioning falls squarely in the territory of energy, passion, urgency, and power. Industry data supports its strongest performance in food & beverage, retail, entertainment categories, where the moderately saturated saturation calibrates the message at a deep, considered level.
- 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: Disney+, Hulu, Netflix) Works best paired with black or white for maximum contrast and visual impact.
- Brand positioning: Deep Red 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, Deep Red works effectively in error states, notification badges, sports branding—contexts where power serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
For marketers and brand strategists, Deep Red is a commitment to energy, passion, urgency, and power. Match it with industries that make that promise and it will pay dividends consistently.
Accessibility & Design Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the hex code for Deep Red? ▾
- The hex code for Deep Red is #6E1010. Its RGB values are rgb(110, 16, 16) and its HSL values are hsl(0, 75%, 25%).
- What does Deep Red 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 Deep Red WCAG accessible? ▾
- Deep Red (#6E1010) passes WCAG AAA on white with a 12.04:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 96/100.
- What colors go well with Deep Red? ▾
- Deep Red pairs well with its complementary color Iron Gray (#595E5E). Analogous colors like Hot Pink and Burgundy also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Deep Red used for? ▾
- Deep Red 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 Deep Red? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #6E1010` or `background-color: #6E1010`. The CSS custom property is `--color-deep-red: #6E1010`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#6E1010]` for backgrounds or `text-[#6E1010]` for text.