Showa era
Brick Red & Red Violet
Plate 37 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brick Red, Red Violet.
#a84222
red · 5 palettes
Brick Red
About Brick Red
Brick Red is a mid-tone, vivid red tone. Its hex value is #a84222 — that is
RGB 168, 66, 34, or HSL 14°, 66%, 40%.
It holds 6.1:1 contrast against white, so Brick Red works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 6.1:1; on black 3.5:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Brick Red appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Red Violet, Eosine Pink and Corinthian Pink.
Colours that go with Brick Red
From a standard colour wheel, Brick Red anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#a84222 #2288A8
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#a84222 #A82245 #A88522
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#a84222 #22A842 #4222A8
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#a84222 #22A885 #2245A8
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Brick Red
Brick Red is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 14°, 66%, 40%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (6.1:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2288A8) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#A82245 and #A88522) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Brick Red
Brick Red appears in 5 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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