Showa era
Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow
Plate 31 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red Orange, Pale Lemon Yellow.
#dd4027
red · 5 palettes
Red Orange
About Red Orange
Red Orange is a mid-tone, vivid red tone. Its hex value is #dd4027 — that is
RGB 221, 64, 39, or HSL 8°, 73%, 51%.
It holds 4.8:1 contrast against dark, so Red Orange works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 4.3:1; on black 4.8:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Red Orange appears in 5 combinations — most often paired with Pale Lemon Yellow, Orange Yellow and Violet.
Colours that go with Red Orange
From a standard colour wheel, Red Orange anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#dd4027 #27C4DD
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#dd4027 #DD2769 #DD9B27
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#dd4027 #27DD40 #4027DD
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#dd4027 #27DD9B #2769DD
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Red Orange
Red Orange is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 8°, 73%, 51%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (4.8:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#27C4DD) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#DD2769 and #DD9B27) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Red Orange
Red Orange 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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