Tints & Shades
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Scale from white (50) through Vermilion (500) to black (900), interpolated in Lab color space.
Color Values
- HEX
- #E34234
- RGB
- rgb(227, 66, 52)
- HSL
- hsl(5, 76%, 55%)
- OKLCH
- oklch(0.613 0.2 29)
- CMYK
- cmyk(0%, 71%, 77%, 11%)
--color-vermilionbg-[#E34234]Accessibility
Score: 39/100On White (#FFF)
4.12:1
On Black (#000)
5.1:1
On Light Gray (#F5F5F5)
3.78:1
Best text color on this background:
Design Applications
background-color: #E34234
color: #E34234
bg-[#E34234] text-[#000000]
border-left: 4px solid #E34234
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Bright Cyan
#00EDFF
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. At medium lightness, it is the most versatile tone of this hue family — readable as text on light backgrounds, yet vibrant enough as a visual accent.
Industry Usage
Common contexts and industries where Vermilion 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
Fails 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
Vermilion is a light color. Use black (#000000) text on top of it for maximum readability (5.10:1). Avoid white text on this background.
CSS & Code Examples
Background
background-color: #E34234;Text
color: #E34234;Border
border: 2px solid #E34234;Box Shadow
box-shadow: 0 4px 20px #E3423440;Gradient
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #E34234, #ff765f);Tailwind-style
--color-vermilion: #E34234;Tailwind CSS Utilities
Use arbitrary value syntax in Tailwind CSS to apply Vermilion without a custom config.
Background
bg-[#E34234]Text
text-[#E34234]Border
border-[#E34234]Ring
ring-[#E34234]Fill
fill-[#E34234]From (gradient)
from-[#E34234]Via (gradient)
via-[#E34234]To (gradient)
to-[#E34234]Design Tokens
Ready-to-use Vermilion design token in CSS custom properties, SCSS, Tailwind v3/v4, and JSON formats.
CSS Custom Properties
:root {
--color-vermilion: #E34234;
--color-vermilion-rgb: 227, 66, 52;
--color-vermilion-hsl: 5, 76%, 55%;
}SCSS Variables
$color-vermilion: #E34234; $color-vermilion-rgb: 227, 66, 52; $color-vermilion-hsl: 5, 76%, 55%;
Tailwind v3 Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'vermilion': '#E34234',
},
},
},
};Tailwind v4 (@theme)
/* tailwind.css */
@theme {
--color-vermilion: #E34234;
}JSON Design Token (W3C format)
{
"vermilion": {
"value": "#E34234",
"type": "color",
"description": "Vermilion — #E34234"
}
}More red colors
View all →What Does Vermilion Mean? Color Psychology & Cultural Symbolism
Vermilion (#E34234) 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.
- Across color psychology research, red consistently tests high for "energy" associations, making Vermilion a reliable vehicle for power in cross-demographic audiences.
- Brand designers draw on red-family tones to project excitement and urgency—values that Vermilion communicates in a mid-tone key.
- At 76% saturation, Vermilion reads as moderately saturated—neither overwhelming nor passive, landing in the energy, passion, urgency, and power zone with measured confidence.
- Vermilion's mid-tone lightness (55%) shifts its psychological register: a balanced mid-tone that embodies energy, passion, urgency, and power at its most direct.
Vermilion earns its place in a palette by doing something specific. Deploy it with that purpose in mind and it will deliver.
How to Use Vermilion in Design: Applications, Pairings & Best Practices
Print and packaging designers reach for Vermilion when shelf visibility is critical. Red-family hues register first in complex visual environments, making them invaluable for products competing for attention at retail.
- Avoid: financial dashboards (loss association), environmental brands (conflicts with green identity), and medical UIs where red exclusively signals critical alerts.
- Color harmonies: Vermilion's complementary color creates a high-energy split ideal for promotional design; its analogous palette (±30° hue) builds cohesive, monochromatic sophistication.
- Proportional use: Vermilion's moderately saturated saturation (76%) means small applications—accents, highlights, icons—deliver maximum impact without visual fatigue. Reserve large-scale use for intentional brand moments.
- Vermilion creates strong legibility with black text overlays (5.1:1 contrast ratio), making it a reliable background or surface color in design systems
- Typography: Vermilion as text requires a dark background; its 55% lightness means it provides 4.1:1 contrast on white, not meeting WCAG AA.
Vermilion earns its place in a palette by doing something specific. Deploy it with that purpose in mind and it will deliver.
Vermilion Accessibility: WCAG Contrast Ratios, Color Blindness & Inclusive Design
Vermilion (#E34234) reaches 5.10:1 contrast with black 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: 20.5%.
- As text on white (#FFFFFF): 4.12:1 — AA (large text only)
- As text on black (#000000): 5.10:1 — AA ✓
- Best text color on Vermilion background: Black (#000000) at 5.10:1
- WCAG 2.1 luminance: 20.5% — mid-range luminance—it sits in the transition zone where both dark and light text approaches require testing against the 4.5:1 WCAG threshold
- Vermilion 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.
Vermilion's WCAG profile makes it a compliant choice for most text applications.
Vermilion in Industry: Branding, Design & Market Applications
Vermilion (#E34234) is most at home in industries where energy, passion, urgency, and power are key brand values. Its mid-tone quality makes it particularly effective in Food & Beverage contexts, where the moderately saturated saturation signals excitement 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: 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: 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: Spotify, Netflix, Hulu) Works best paired with black or white for maximum contrast and visual impact.
- Brand positioning: Vermilion 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, Vermilion works effectively in call-to-action buttons, promotional banners, food packaging—contexts where excitement serves a secondary but reinforcing role.
The industries where Vermilion performs best are those where the audience expects excitement. Build brand strategy around this alignment, not against it.
Accessibility & Design Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the hex code for Vermilion? ▾
- The hex code for Vermilion is #E34234. Its RGB values are rgb(227, 66, 52) and its HSL values are hsl(5, 76%, 55%).
- What does Vermilion 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. At medium lightness, it is the most versatile tone of this hue family — readable as text on light backgrounds, yet vibrant enough as a visual accent.
- Is Vermilion WCAG accessible? ▾
- Vermilion (#E34234) passes WCAG AA-large on white with a 4.12:1 contrast ratio. Its overall accessibility score is 39/100.
- What colors go well with Vermilion? ▾
- Vermilion pairs well with its complementary color Bright Cyan (#00EDFF). Analogous colors like Cotton Candy and Cardinal also work harmoniously. Check the Color Harmonies section above for the full palette.
- What is Vermilion used for? ▾
- Vermilion 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 Vermilion? ▾
- In CSS, use `color: #E34234` or `background-color: #E34234`. The CSS custom property is `--color-vermilion: #E34234`. In Tailwind CSS, use the arbitrary value class `bg-[#E34234]` for backgrounds or `text-[#E34234]` for text.