Signal Red: a red website color palette
Red grabs attention faster than any other color, so use it for one thing: the main action. A near-black ink and warm white page keep the rest calm.
#FBF8F6
Background
#FFFFFF
Surface
#1A1414
Text
#C1121F
Accent
#2B2D42
Highlight
The palette as a real page
Make the first impression the one they remember.
The Signal Red palette set as a real page: #1A1414 text on #FBF8F6, every action in #C1121F.
Designed first
Surface #FFFFFF keeps cards distinct from the page.
Built in minutes
Surface #FFFFFF keeps cards distinct from the page.
Live in one click
Surface #FFFFFF keeps cards distinct from the page.
Contrast
- AaBody text on the page#1A1414 on #FBF8F617.2:1AAA
- AaBody text on cards#1A1414 on #FFFFFF18.1:1AAA
- AaAccent links and icons on the page#C1121F on #FBF8F65.8:1AA
- AaHighlight on the page#2B2D42 on #FBF8F6 · large text12.7:1AAA
- AaPage color on an accent button#FBF8F6 on #C1121F · large text5.8:1AA
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text; AAA needs 7:1. Check any pair in the contrast checker.
Copy the palette
:root {
--color-background: #FBF8F6;
--color-surface: #FFFFFF;
--color-text: #1A1414;
--color-accent: #C1121F;
--color-highlight: #2B2D42;
}Every color and what it is for
| Role | HEX | RGB | HSL | Use it for | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AaBackground | #FBF8F6 | rgb(251, 248, 246) | hsl(24, 38%, 97%) | The page itself, behind everything. Text on it reads best in black. | About 60% |
| AaSurface | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) | hsl(0, 0%, 100%) | Cards, panels, the header and form fields, set apart from the page. Text on it reads best in black. | About 20 to 30% |
| AaText | #1A1414 | rgb(26, 20, 20) | hsl(0, 13%, 9%) | Headings and body copy: every word meant to be read. Text on it reads best in white. | All reading text |
| AaAccent | #C1121F | rgb(193, 18, 31) | hsl(356, 83%, 41%) | Buttons, links and active states only, so the next action is always obvious. Text on it reads best in white. | About 10% |
| AaHighlight | #2B2D42 | rgb(43, 45, 66) | hsl(235, 21%, 21%) | Small moments: badges, success states, a key number or tag. Text on it reads best in white. | A few percent |
The accent, from 50 to 900
Five colors cover the page; a real site also needs lighter and darker steps of the accent for hover states, tinted backgrounds, borders and focus rings. These are mixed from #C1121F toward white and black, with 500 as the accent itself.
- 50
#FCF3F4 - 100
#F6DBDD - 200
#E9ACB1 - 300
#DD7D84 - 400
#CF4650 - 500
#C1121F - 600
#A40F1A - 700
#830C15 - 800
#610910 - 900
#42060B
@theme {
--color-accent-50: #FCF3F4;
--color-accent-100: #F6DBDD;
--color-accent-200: #E9ACB1;
--color-accent-300: #DD7D84;
--color-accent-400: #CF4650;
--color-accent-500: #C1121F;
--color-accent-600: #A40F1A;
--color-accent-700: #830C15;
--color-accent-800: #610910;
--color-accent-900: #42060B;
}More website color palettes
Questions, answered.
The things people ask before they start building.
What colors are best for a red website?
Red grabs attention faster than any other color, so use it for one thing: the main action. A near-black ink and warm white page keep the rest calm. The Signal Red palette uses #FBF8F6 for the page, #1A1414 for text, #C1121F for actions and #2B2D42 as a highlight.
Is the Signal Red palette accessible?
Body text scores 17.2:1 against the background, which passes WCAG AAA. Every pairing a site uses is scored on this page.
What are the hex codes for the Signal Red palette?
Background #FBF8F6, Surface #FFFFFF, Text #1A1414, Accent #C1121F, Highlight #2B2D42. Every color is listed on this page in HEX, RGB and HSL, with CSS and Tailwind variables to copy.
How should I use these colors on a red website?
Use #FBF8F6 for about 60% of the page, #FFFFFF for cards and panels, #1A1414 for all reading text, and keep #C1121F for buttons and links only, about 10% of the page, so actions stand out. Save #2B2D42 for small details such as badges and success states.
Can an AI website builder pick a color palette for me?
Yes. Orlume (orlume.site) decides the palette, typography and layout for your brief in its design pass, before any code is written, then builds the site in React and Next.js and deploys it in one click.
Still stuck? Email usOr let Orlume pick the colors for you.
Describe the site you want. Watch it get designed, not just generated. Then publish it to its own orlume.site address.
- Free to start
- No card required
- Publish to a live URL
- You own the code