Red family
Scarlet color
A vivid red with warm undertones. The reference scarlet is #FF2400, as defined by the Color Names (meodai).
| HEX | #FF2400 | |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(255, 36, 0) | |
| HSL | hsl(8, 100%, 50%) | |
| HSV | hsv(8, 100%, 100%) | |
| OKLCH | oklch(63.8% 0.248 31.0) | |
| CMYK* | 0, 86, 100, 0 |
* CMYK is a simple conversion without a print profile; ask your printer for exact values.
What color is scarlet?
Scarlet is a brilliant red with a slight orange tint. In medieval Europe the word first referred to an expensive fine wool cloth, which was most often dyed this bright red, and the name passed to the colour. It is the red of cardinals' robes and British military coats.
Scarlet hex codes by source
Color names are not standardized, so the same name can point to different colors. Here is every definition of scarlet in our three sources, with how close each one is to the reference.
| Name | HEX | Source | Compared with the reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet | #BE0119 | xkcd Color Survey | Noticeably different · 43% similar |
| Scarlet | #FF2400 | Color Names (meodai) | Reference shown on this page |
Scarlet vs Crimson
#FF2400
#DC143C
Crimson is cooler and deeper; scarlet is warmer, with a hint of orange. In numbers: the two are 66% similar (OKLab distance 0.085). See Crimson for its own codes.
Colors similar to scarlet
The closest named colors to #FF2400 across all three sources, with their similarity in OKLab.
Tints and shades of scarlet
The same hue from light to dark, generated in OKLab so the steps look even. Click a step to copy its HEX code.
Colors that go with scarlet
Classic color-wheel combinations built on #FF2400, computed in OKLCH so the partners keep the same lightness and intensity. Each swatch shows the nearest common name.
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Split complementary
Scarlet with white and black text
WCAG asks for a contrast of at least 4.5:1 for body text (AA) and 3:1 for large text. On a scarlet background, black text is the better choice.
Use scarlet in CSS
.scarlet {
color: #FF2400;
/* or */ color: rgb(255 36 0);
/* or */ color: hsl(8 100% 50%);
/* or */ color: oklch(63.8% 0.248 31.0);
}