Showa era
Light Brown Drab & Carmine Red
Plate 35 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Carmine Red.
#a62c37
red · 12 palettes
Carmine Red
About Carmine Red
Carmine Red is a mid-tone, muted red tone. Its hex value is #a62c37 — that is
RGB 166, 44, 55, or HSL 355°, 58%, 41%.
It holds 6.9:1 contrast against white, so Carmine Red works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 6.9:1; on black 3.0:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Carmine Red appears in 12 combinations — most often paired with Violet, Neutral Gray and Light Brown Drab.
Colours that go with Carmine Red
From a standard colour wheel, Carmine Red anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#a62c37 #2CA69B
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#a62c37 #A62C74 #A65E2C
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#a62c37 #37A62C #2C37A6
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#a62c37 #2CA65E #2C74A6
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Carmine Red
Carmine Red is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 355°, 58%, 41%), 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 (6.9:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2CA69B) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#A62C74 and #A65E2C) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Carmine Red
Carmine Red appears in 12 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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