Showa era
Hay's Russet & Sea Green
Plate 58 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Hay's Russet, Sea Green.
#793327
red · 11 palettes
Hay's Russet
About Hay's Russet
Hay's Russet is a deep, muted red tone. Its hex value is #793327 — that is
RGB 121, 51, 39, or HSL 9°, 51%, 31%.
It holds 9.1:1 contrast against white, so Hay's Russet works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 9.1:1; on black 2.3:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Hay's Russet appears in 11 combinations — most often paired with Dusky Madder Violet, Eosine Pink and Sea Green.
Colours that go with Hay's Russet
From a standard colour wheel, Hay's Russet anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#793327 #276D79
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#793327 #792744 #795C27
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#793327 #277933 #332779
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#793327 #27795C #274479
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Hay's Russet
Hay's Russet is a deep, muted tone (HSL 9°, 51%, 31%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (9.1:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#276D79) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#792744 and #795C27) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Hay's Russet off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
View on Amazon -
...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Pentel
Fude Touch brush sign pen
Listed on Amazon as Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A) 3 Pieces
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Hay's Russet
Hay's Russet appears in 11 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Hay's Russet
- What is the hex code for Hay's Russet?
- Hay's Russet is #793327. It appears in 11 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Hay's Russet look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Hay's Russet (#793327) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 9.07:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 2.32:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Hay's Russet come from?
- Hay's Russet 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 Hay's Russet in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#793327) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
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