What is the hex code for Carmine Red?

Carmine Red is #a62c37. It appears in 12 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".

What does Carmine Red look like on white and black backgrounds?

Carmine Red (#a62c37) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 6.92:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 3.04:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

Where does the color Carmine Red come from?

Carmine Red is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued red pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.

Can I use Carmine Red in my own design or brand?

Yes. The color name and hex value (#a62c37) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.

#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.

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.

Showa era

Light Brown Drab & Carmine Red

Plate 35 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Carmine Red.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Blue

Plate 51 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Blue.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Sulpher Yellow

Plate 104 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Sulpher Yellow.

Showa era

Raw Sienna & Carmine Red +1

Plate 130 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Carmine Red, Violet.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Violet +1

Plate 181 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Violet, Cotinga Purple.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Olive Buff +1

Plate 200 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Olive Buff, Chromium Green.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Neutral Gray +1

Plate 221 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Neutral Gray, Black.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Plate 228 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Pale Lemon Yellow, Neutral Gray.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Buffy Citrine +1

Plate 233 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Buffy Citrine, Violet Blue.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Madder Brown +1

Plate 237 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Madder Brown, Salvia Blue.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Oil Green +2

Plate 245 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Oil Green, Dark Tyrian Blue, Slate Color.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Orange Yellow +2

Plate 338 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Orange Yellow, Dusky Green, Grayish Lavender - B.

Embed this color

Drop a Carmine Red swatch card into any blog post, design review, or color-study reference page. Links back to this color's detail.

<iframe src="https://colorcombinations.org/embed/colors/carmine-red/" width="360" height="180" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;" title="Carmine Red — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

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From the archive

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All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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Carmine Red

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About Carmine Red

Palettes with Carmine Red

Light Brown Drab & Carmine Red

Carmine Red & Blue

Carmine Red & Sulpher Yellow

Raw Sienna & Carmine Red +1

Carmine Red & Violet +1

Carmine Red & Olive Buff +1

Carmine Red & Neutral Gray +1

Carmine Red & Pale Lemon Yellow +1

Carmine Red & Buffy Citrine +1

Carmine Red & Madder Brown +1

Carmine Red & Oil Green +2

Carmine Red & Orange Yellow +2

Embed this color

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.