Crimson vs red
Pure red is #FF0000. Crimson takes a little off the red channel and adds some blue and green, which moves the hue from 0° to 348°. The result is deeper and slightly cooler, closer to the colour of a rose or of blood than of a stop sign. The word comes from kermes, the insect that medieval dyers crushed to make the colour.
| Red | Crimson | |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #FF0000 | #DC143C |
| RGB | 255, 0, 0 | 220, 20, 60 |
| HSL | 0°, 100%, 50% | 348°, 83%, 47% |
| White text | 4.00:1, fails AA | 4.99:1, passes AA |
That last row is the practical reason designers reach for crimson: it reads as “red” and still carries a white label.
Which crimson?
The community colour-name list has a much darker “Crimson” at #8C000F. It sits at 27% lightness against the CSS crimson's 47%, and takes white text at 9.90:1. Use the CSS value for screens, and the darker one when you want an old-world, velvet look.
Pairings
Crimson with charcoal and ivory feels editorial and modern. With gold it becomes ceremonial; many universities use crimson and gold or crimson and white. Crimson next to navy is bold but balanced, because both are deep.
Questions
What are crimson's RGB values?
rgb(220, 20, 60).
Is crimson the same as scarlet?
No, they lean in opposite directions: crimson towards blue, scarlet towards orange. See the red page for the whole group.