Vermilion

Warm primary red sourced from cinnabar, an auspicious hue in traditional Chinese culture

HEX#FF4C00

RGBrgb(255, 76, 0)

HSLhsl(18, 100%, 50%)

HSVhsv(18, 100%, 100%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 70%, 100%, 0%)

HEXA#FF4C00FF

RGBArgba(255, 76, 0, 1)

HSLAhsla(18, 100%, 50%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(76.4%, 0.175, 62)

LCHlch(71.3%, 78.8, 71)

🎨 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

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFBFARatio 3.3:1AA Large

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

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#FFFCF0Ratio 3.3:1AA Large

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#D9FF80Ratio 3:1AA Large

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

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#00FF4DRatio 2.5:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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

#4D1700

#6B2000

#8A2900

#A33100

#C23A00

#E04300

#FF4D00

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

#B36B4D

#BF6640

#CC6133

#D95C26

#E65719

#F2520D

#FF4D00

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation proportional scaling

#32221B

#4C2D1F

#693620

#873C1D

#AC4316

#D3490D

#FF4D00

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

#FF0D00

#FF2200

#FF3700

#FF4D00

#FF6200

#FF7700

#FF8C00

💡 Use Cases

🏛️

Ancient Architectural Polychromy

Traditional color for the Palace Museum’s red walls and temple pillars, inheriting thousand-year official construction techniques.

🖋️

Vermilion Seals & Annotations

Ink color for seals in traditional calligraphy and Chinese painting, the exclusive red for imperial annotated memorials across dynasties.

🧧

New Year Paintings & Spring Couplets

Base tone for lunar New Year paintings and couplets, bearing wishes to dispel misfortune, attract fortune and bid farewell to the old.

🏺

Lacquer Craftsmanship

Classic palette for Han-dynasty lacquerware and modern intangible heritage lacquer art, presenting the mellow, deep luster of raw lacquer.

📜 Origin & History

Vermilion originates from natural cinnabar ore. As early as the Neolithic Age, ancestors ground cinnabar into powder for red rituals in sacrifices and burials. Precious artifacts coated with vermilion were unearthed from Fu Hao’s tomb at Yinxu.

In the Zhou Dynasty, Vermilion became one of the Five Orthodox Colors. Emperors wore vermilion ceremonial robes for sacrificial rites. *The Rites of Zhou* detailed regulations governing red hues by rank, placing Vermilion at the apex of the red spectrum.

After unifying the six kingdoms, Qin Shi Huang designated Vermilion as the color for imperial seals, establishing the later tradition of emperors’ vermilion annotations. Vermilion on Han-dynasty lacquerware remains vivid after two thousand years, a marvel of ancient chemical craft.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, Vermilion spread from palaces to ordinary towns. Red pillars in Buddhist and Taoist temples, brides’ vermilion wedding robes, and vermilion backgrounds for New Year paintings made Vermilion the most familiar auspicious color in Chinese daily life.

Vermilion has regained attention amid contemporary intangible cultural heritage preservation. Restoring the vermilion of the Palace Museum’s red walls requires adherence to ancient formulas; craftsmen safeguard this thousand-year craft spanning raw cinnabar to wall coatings.

🧠 Color Psychology

Auspicious JoyVermilion has long been believed to ward off evil and attract blessings, carrying Chinese people’s wishes for a fulfilling life.

Dignity & SolemnityVermilion gateways and imperial vermilion annotations symbolize unassailable hierarchical order and official authority.

Warm & LuminousMore orange-tinged than scarlet, Vermilion resembles winter sunshine, delivering comfortable warmth without scorching intensity.

Weight of HistoryTwo thousand years of cinnabar mining condensed within this streak of red; every shade marks a passage of time.

Perpetual LifeCinnabar symbolized eternity in alchemy. Vermilion conveys blessings of continuous life and enduring family lineage.

Exquisite CraftsmanshipIntricate craft of vermilion lacquerware embodies Chinese artisans’ relentless pursuit of ultimate quality.

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