Carmine Color
Carmine is a red color with hex code #9D0216. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with carmine, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Carmine Color Values
What Does Carmine Mean?
Carmine belongs to the red family of colors. Reds grab attention faster than anything else on the spectrum. It's why clearance tags, warning signs, and buy buttons lean on red tones, and why painters reach for red when a focal point has to carry a composition. Reds also advance visually, stepping forward while cooler hues recede into the background. Being on the dark side, Carmine adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Carmine is classified as a orange (nearest centroid: deep reddish orange, #AA381E).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Carmine
Carmine and #029C87 are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #9C0263 and #9C3B02, which sit beside carmine on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair carmine with triadic partners #179C02 and #02179C. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Scarlett —
#950015(Delta E 3) - Sangria —
#92000A(Delta E 5) - Tamarillo —
#991613(Delta E 5) - FireBrick —
#B22222(Delta E 7) - Mexican Red —
#A72525(Delta E 7)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #9D0216; }
.background { background-color: #9D0216; }
.border { border: 2px solid #9D0216; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #9D021640; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for carmine?
Carmine has the hex code #9D0216. In RGB notation it is rgb(157, 2, 22), in HSL it is hsl(352, 97%, 31%), and its OKLCH value is 0.439, 0.177, 25.3.
What does the color carmine mean?
Red-family colors like carmine carry distinct psychological associations. Carmine belongs to the red family of colors. Reds grab attention faster than anything else on the spectrum. It's why clearance tags, warning signs, and buy buttons lean on red tones, and why painters reach for red when a focal point has to carry a composition. Reds also advance visually, stepping forward while cooler hues recede into the background. Being on the dark side, Carmine adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with carmine?
Carmine has three easy routes: its complement #029C87 for punch, its neighbors #9C0263 and #9C3B02 for something calmer, or triadic partners #179C02 and #02179C when you want energy.
Is carmine a standard web color?
No — Carmine is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #9D0216 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make carmine lighter or darker?
To lighten carmine, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #FEC8CF (lightest tint) to #190004 (darkest shade).
About Carmine
Carmine is classified as a Orange in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Red hue family. It has The color is recognized by XKCD.
Use our Color Converter to convert #9D0216 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.