Dark Red

Dim deep red, resembling dried blood, solemn and profound

HEX#8B0000

RGBrgb(139, 0, 0)

HSLhsl(0, 100%, 27%)

HSVhsv(0, 100%, 55%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 45%)

HEXA#8B0000FF

RGBArgba(139, 0, 0, 1)

HSLAhsla(0, 100%, 27%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(51.3%, 0.21, 29)

LCHlch(40.6%, 80.7, 42)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

Learn More →

Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFCCCCRatio 7:1AAA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#FF9429Ratio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#8F8F00Ratio 2.9:1Fail

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#008A00Ratio 2.2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

Online Color Picker → Gradient Generator →

Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, proportional lightness scaling 30%→100%

#290000

#380000

#470000

#5C0000

#6B0000

#7A0000

#8A0000

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, proportional saturation scaling 40%→100%

#602929

#672222

#6E1C1C

#751515

#7C0E0E

#830707

#8A0000

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation proportional scaling

#1B0E0E

#281010

#371111

#4C1010

#5F0C0C

#730707

#8A0000

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#8A0022

#8A0017

#8A000B

#8A0000

#8A0B00

#8A1700

#8A2200

💡 Use Cases

🎭

Theater Decoration

Wall fabrics and stage curtains of opera houses, building solemn viewing rituals amid alternating light and shadow.

📚

Hardcover Books

Base color for gold stamping on classical documents and collected editions, highlighting profound humanistic heritage.

👠

Banquet Dresses

Velvet evening gowns presenting understated luxury and restrained sensuality at cocktail parties.

🍷

Wine Cellar Design

Main wall tone for wine storage, absorbing light to set off ruby wine liquid and shape private atmosphere.

📜 Origin & History

#8B0000 is named DarkRed in HTML color standards and a foundational member of early web-safe colors. Its low luminance was designed to render profound dark red on CRT monitors, avoiding harsh glare of pure red in dim environments.

In traditional Chinese chromatics, tones similar to #8B0000 are variants of Xun color or sauce color from Xuanxun. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it served as major winter formal wear color for literati; retaining red essence while its gray undertones embody the restraint of scholars.

In Western painting, this deep red is usually mixed from madder red and ivory black. Baroque painters such as Caravaggio used it to depict faintly visible red fabrics against shadowed backgrounds, strengthening dramatic chiaroscuro and lending solemn gravity to artworks.

After the Industrial Revolution, it was widely applied to high-end wallpaper and theater curtains. Its heavy hue absorbs excess light perfectly, creating focused, enclosed and secure auditorium space for audiences to immerse in plots.

In postmodern design, #8B0000 breaks free from heaviness. Combined with metal and concrete materials, it expresses rough, primitive and cool texture, representing aesthetic strength reborn from ruins.

🧠 Color Psychology

Introspective & ContemplativeLow-luminance dark red guides inward vision, suppressing outward impulses of red, suitable for thinking, meditation and inner reflection.

Oppressive GravityLike coagulated blood, it carries the weight of history and tragic overtones, evoking solemn, grave and slightly suppressed emotions.

Vintage ClassicIt bears traces of time and wear, arousing nostalgia for old theaters, ancient libraries and aged wine cellars.

Cold DignityStripped of red’s warmth, it leaves unquestionable authority, reminiscent of ancient laws and harsh judgments that inspire awe.

Enduring RestraintRed restrained by darkness demonstrates indomitable perseverance, like magma flowing underground: calm outward yet concealing tremendous willpower.

Dramatic TensionThe deep red bred in darkness is full of conflicts and storylines, implying upcoming plot twists and secrets hidden in shadows.

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