Showa era
Carmine & Helvetia Blue
Plate 39 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine, Helvetia Blue.
#cc1236
red · 8 palettes
Carmine
About Carmine
Carmine is a mid-tone, vivid red tone. Its hex value is #cc1236 — that is
RGB 204, 18, 54, or HSL 348°, 84%, 44%.
It holds 5.7:1 contrast against white, so Carmine works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 5.7:1; on black 3.7:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Carmine appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Black, Yellow and Helvetia Blue.
Colours that go with Carmine
From a standard colour wheel, Carmine anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#cc1236 #12CCA8
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#cc1236 #CC1293 #CC4B12
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#cc1236 #36CC12 #1236CC
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#cc1236 #12CC4B #1293CC
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Carmine
Carmine is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 348°, 84%, 44%), 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 (5.7:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#12CCA8) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#CC1293 and #CC4B12) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Carmine
Carmine appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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