Crimson Red

#B22222

What color is Crimson Red?

Crimson red is a deep, rich red with a slight blue undertone, hex #B22222, close to the color of a dried rose petal. It is darker than a standard red and carries a dense, almost velvety quality in its tone.

What is the meaning of the color Crimson Red?

The name crimson traces to the Old Spanish cremesín, itself from the Arabic qirmiz, referring to the kermes insect used to produce a prized red dye in medieval textile trade. The dye was among the most expensive in Europe by the 13th century, used for the robes of cardinals and royalty. Harvard University adopted crimson as its official color in 1910, anchoring the shade in American institutional identity.

RGB
178, 34, 34
HSL
0°, 68%, 42%
CMYK
0, 81, 81, 30
HSV
0°, 81%, 70%
Crimson red color

What colors go with Crimson Red?

Colors that pair well with Crimson red include:
Navy blue: deep, formal contrast
Ivory: soft, warm balance
Charcoal gray: strong, grounded depth
Gold: rich, bold warmth
Forest green: cool, striking complement

Similar Colors

Conversions & Codes

Format Value CSS
HEX #B22222 color: #B22222;
RGB 178, 34, 34 color: rgb(178, 34, 34);
RGB Percentage 70%, 13%, 13% color: rgb(70%, 13%, 13%);
CMYK 0%, 81%, 81%, 30% Not supported in CSS
HSL 0°, 68%, 42% color: hsl(0, 68%, 42%);
HSV 0°, 81%, 70% Not supported in CSS
CIE-LAB 34, 29, 0 color: lab(34% 29 0);
Decimal 11674146 Not supported in CSS

Color Variations

Shades

#B42222
#A21F1F
#901B1B
#7E1818
#6C1515
#5A1111
#480E0E
#360A0A

Tints

#F1B4B4
#EC9C9C
#E78383
#E36A6A
#DE5151
#D93838
#CD2727
#B42222

Tones

#B42222
#AD2A2A
#A53131
#9E3838
#973F3F
#904747
#884E4E
#815555

Hues

#B42222
#B49022
#6BB422
#22B447
#22B4B4
#2247B4
#6B22B4
#B42290

Color Harmonies

Analogous

#B4226B
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#B22222
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#B46B22
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Complementary

#B22222
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#22B4B4
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Split Complementary

#B22222
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#22B46B
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#226BB4
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Triadic

#B22222
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#22B422
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#2222B4
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Tetradic

#B22222
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#6BB422
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#22B4B4
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#6B22B4
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Square

#B22222
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#6BB422
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#22B4B4
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#6B22B4
Click to copy

CSS & Dev Snippets

CSS
.crimson-red {
  color: #B22222;
}
SCSS
$crimson-red: #B22222;
RGB
rgb(178, 34, 34)

Accessibility & Contrast

White background

6.68:1
6.68
contrast ratio on a white background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

Black background

3.14:1
3.14
contrast ratio on a black background
Element
AA
AAA
Small text
Large text
UI element

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