Cardinal Red

#C41E3A

What color is Cardinal Red?

Cardinal red is a deep, rich red with a slight cool undertone, hex #C41E3A, similar in depth to a dark garnet stone. It is noticeably darker than a standard red but still fully saturated, with no brown or orange pulling it warm.

What is the meaning of the color Cardinal Red?

The name traces to the scarlet-red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals, a dress code formalized by Pope Paul II in 1464. The color became a recognized symbol of high church rank across Europe over the following centuries. In the United States, the University of Louisville adopted cardinal red as an official school color, and Stanford University uses a closely related shade as its primary identity color. The color is also the official name of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, established under that name in 1900.

RGB
196, 30, 58
HSL
350°, 73%, 44%
CMYK
0, 85, 70, 23
HSV
350°, 85%, 77%
Cardinal red color

What colors go with Cardinal Red?

Colors that pair well with Cardinal red include:
Ivory: soft, warm contrast
Navy blue: strong, classic balance
Charcoal gray: dark, grounding depth
Gold: rich, formal accent
Forest green: bold, natural contrast

Similar Colors

Conversions & Codes

Format Value CSS
HEX #C41E3A color: #C41E3A;
RGB 196, 30, 58 color: rgb(196, 30, 58);
RGB Percentage 77%, 12%, 23% color: rgb(77%, 12%, 23%);
CMYK 0%, 85%, 70%, 23% Not supported in CSS
HSL 350°, 73%, 44% color: hsl(350, 73%, 44%);
HSV 350°, 85%, 77% Not supported in CSS
CIE-LAB 35, 33, -9 color: lab(35% 33 -9);
Decimal 12852794 Not supported in CSS

Color Variations

Shades

#C21E3A
#AF1B34
#9B182E
#881528
#741223
#610F1D
#4E0C17
#3A0911

Tints

#F3B5BF
#F09CAA
#EC8395
#E86B80
#E4526A
#E03955
#DB2241
#C21E3A

Tones

#C21E3A
#BA263F
#B22F45
#AA374A
#A13F4F
#994755
#914F5A
#895860

Hues

#C21E3A
#C27E1E
#8CC21E
#1EC22C
#1EC2A7
#1E63C2
#551EC2
#C21EB4

Color Harmonies

Analogous

#C21E8C
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#C41E3A
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#C2551E
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Complementary

#C41E3A
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#1EC2A7
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Split Complementary

#C41E3A
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#1EC255
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#1E8CC2
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Triadic

#C41E3A
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#3AC21E
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#1E3AC2
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Tetradic

#C41E3A
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#8CC21E
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#1EC2A7
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#551EC2
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Square

#C41E3A
Click to copy
#8CC21E
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#1EC2A7
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#551EC2
Click to copy

CSS & Dev Snippets

CSS
.cardinal-red {
  color: #C41E3A;
}
SCSS
$cardinal-red: #C41E3A;
RGB
rgb(196, 30, 58)

Accessibility & Contrast

White background

5.84:1
5.84
contrast ratio on a white background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

Black background

3.59:1
3.59
contrast ratio on a black background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

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