Crimson `#DC143C`

Crimson (#DC143C) is a mid-tone, vivid red with an OKLCH hue of 20°, lightness 0.57 and chroma 0.222. It sits on the warm side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as an accent color: strong in focal moments, dominant over large fields.

Color values

HEX	`#DC143C`
RGB	`rgb(220, 20, 60)`
HSL	`hsl(348, 83%, 47%)`
HSV	`hsv(348, 91%, 86%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 91%, 73%, 14%)`
CIE Lab	`lab(47 70.9 33.6)`
OKLCH	`oklch(0.571 0.222 20)`

How Crimson behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Crimson is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.7), so it is a lighting-stable choice.

Warm interior (2700K incandescent / warm LED): → #dc0537 — ΔE 0.7, is virtually unchanged
Neutral LED (4000K task and retail lighting): → #df0e3a — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged
Daylight (6500K standard daylight (reference)): → #dc143c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged
North light / shade (~7500K diffuse blue-sky light): → #dd153d — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchanged

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 4.99:1 and against black 4.21:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text.

Palettes built from Crimson

Tonal

One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.

#ffb9b8 · #ff757a · #dc143c · #b0002b · #750019 · #3f0008

Analogous

The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.

#ec7611 · #e74e20 · #dc143c · #bc0059 · #990067 · #75046d

Shifted

The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.

#f4a000 · #bf8a41 · #dc143c · #ac012a · #7d001b · #382100

Contrast

One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.

#00dfe8 · #bf8988 · #dc143c · #90363b · #691a21 · #3d0a0f

Quiet Support

The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.

#dbf9fa · #ac8887 · #dc143c · #4e6263 · #3d1b1b · #000203

Bright Accent

This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.

#e6f5f6 · #bccdce · #8da1a2 · #0c282a · #000607 · #dc143c

Complementary

The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.

#dad7b2 · #36b9f2 · #dc143c · #824e70 · #263552 · #020d27

Split-complementary

The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.

#c3e0c3 · #73b7cc · #dc143c · #437259 · #28344c · #1f0512

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.

#dbfed3 · #4dab37 · #dc143c · #0053cb · #00215d · #000200

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.

#f4f7c3 · #999900 · #dc143c · #006c70 · #2c006a · #000203

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#EA4A58 · #F76D73 · #FF8F90 · #FFB2B1 · #FFD3D1

Shades

#BA002E · #960023 · #730018 · #53000E · #340005

Muted

#CA3F4B · #B75558 · #A26464

Using Crimson

Its chroma is high enough to carry accents, calls to action, and focal moments; large fields of it will dominate a composition. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.