Dark Red Color
Dark Red is a red color with hex code #840000. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with dark red, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Dark Red Color Values
What Does Dark Red Mean?
Dark Red 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, Dark Red adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Dark Red is classified as a brown (nearest centroid: strong reddish brown, #882D17).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Dark Red
Dark Red and #008585 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 — #850042 and #854200, which sit beside dark red on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair dark red with triadic partners #008500 and #000085. 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
- Indian Red —
#850E04(Delta E 3) - DarkRed —
#8B0000(Delta E 3) - Red Berry —
#8E0000(Delta E 5) - Sangria —
#92000A(Delta E 5) - Blood —
#770001(Delta E 6)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #840000; }
.background { background-color: #840000; }
.border { border: 2px solid #840000; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #84000040; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for dark red?
Dark Red has the hex code #840000. In RGB notation it is rgb(132, 0, 0), in HSL it is hsl(0, 100%, 26%), and its OKLCH value is 0.385, 0.158, 29.2.
What does the color dark red mean?
Red-family colors like dark red carry distinct psychological associations. Dark Red 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, Dark Red adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with dark red?
Dark Red has three easy routes: its complement #008585 for punch, its neighbors #850042 and #854200 for something calmer, or triadic partners #008500 and #000085 when you want energy.
Is dark red a standard web color?
No — Dark Red is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #840000 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make dark red lighter or darker?
To lighten dark red, 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 #FFC2C2 (lightest tint) to #140000 (darkest shade).
About Dark Red
Dark Red is classified as a Brown in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Red hue family. It has The color is recognized by XKCD, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #840000 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.