Tints & Shades
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Scale from white (50) through Garnet (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #733635
- RGB
- rgb(115, 54, 53)
- HSL
- hsl(1, 37%, 33%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.413 0.086 23)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 53%, 54%, 55%)
--color-garnetbg-[#733635]Accessibility
Score: 96/100On White (#FFF)
9.1:1
On Black (#000)
2.31:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
8.35:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #733635
color: #733635
bg-[#733635] text-[#FFFFFF]
border-left: 4px solid #733635
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 Garnet 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
Garnet is a dark color. Use white (#FFFFFF) text on top of it for maximum readability (9.10:1). Avoid small black text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #733635;Text
color: #733635;Border
border: 2px solid #733635;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #73363540;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #733635, #a4615f);Tailwind-style
--color-garnet: #733635;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Garnet without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#733635]Text
text-[#733635]Border
border-[#733635]Ring
ring-[#733635]Fill
fill-[#733635]From (gradient)
from-[#733635]Via (gradient)
via-[#733635]To (gradient)
to-[#733635]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Garnet design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-garnet: #733635;
--color-garnet-rgb: 115, 54, 53;
--color-garnet-hsl: 1, 37%, 33%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-garnet: #733635; $color-garnet-rgb: 115, 54, 53; $color-garnet-hsl: 1, 37%, 33%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'garnet': '#733635',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-garnet: #733635;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"garnet": {
"value": "#733635",
"type": "color",
"description": "Garnet — #733635"
}
}More red colors
View all →What Does Garnet Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Garnet (#733635) 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 power.
- 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.
- Garnet's deep lightness (33%) shifts its psychological register: Deep crimsons and burgundies shift urgency toward sophistication, authority, and depth—better for premium positioning than quick-reaction signals.
- At 37% saturation, Garnet reads as subdued—neither overwhelming nor passive, landing in the energy, passion, urgency, and power zone with measured confidence.
For designers, Garnet is a precision instrument: powerful in small doses, overwhelming at scale. Restraint is its best amplifier.
How to Use Garnet in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
In digital interfaces, Garnet functions as a high-attention accent rather than a dominant tone. Even at small proportions, its subdued saturation (37%) carries enough visual weight to direct the eye precisely where needed.
- UI components: primary action buttons, error and destructive states, delete confirmations—Garnet performs reliably in all these roles with its deep tonal character.
- Brand & identity: call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where Garnet's subdued quality creates the right register.
- Typography: Garnet works as a background behind white text but requires careful sizing—test at intended heading and body sizes before finalizing.
- As a dark tone, Garnet creates maximum contrast with white and light neutrals—excellent for creating premium dark-mode sections, bold headers, and high-drama brand moments
- Proportional use: Garnet's subdued quality means it scales well across proportions—from full-bleed backgrounds to single-pixel borders—making it an unusually versatile palette component.
For designers, Garnet is a precision instrument: powerful in small doses, overwhelming at scale. Restraint is its best amplifier.
Garnet Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Garnet (#733635) achieves a 9.10:1 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: 6.5%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 9.10:1 — AAA ✓
- As text on black (#000000): 2.31:1 — Fail
- Best text color on Garnet background: White (#FFFFFF) at 9.10:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 6.5% — low luminance (dark)—it provides strong contrast for white and light overlaid text, functioning well as a background in dark-mode and header contexts
- Garnet 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 Garnet 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.
Garnet in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Across industry research, red-family tones consistently outperform competitors in categories built on energy, passion, urgency, and power. Garnet is a deep 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: Disney+, Hulu, Netflix) Works best paired with black or white for maximum contrast and visual impact.
- Brand positioning: Garnet 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, Garnet works effectively in call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where excitement serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
Garnet 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 Garnet? ▾
- The hex code for Garnet is #733635. Its RGB values are rgb(115, 54, 53) and its HSL values are hsl(1, 37%, 33%).
- What does Garnet 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 Garnet WCAG accessible? ▾
- Garnet (#733635) passes WCAG AAA on white with a 9.1:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 96/100.
- What colors go well with Garnet? ▾
- Garnet pairs well with its complementary color Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). Analogous colors like Peony and Pastel Pink also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Garnet used for? ▾
- Garnet 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 Garnet? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #733635` or `background-color: #733635`. The CSS custom property is `--color-garnet: #733635`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#733635]` for backgrounds or `text-[#733635]` for text.