Merlot Color
Merlot is a pink color with hex code #730039. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with merlot, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Merlot Color Values
What Does Merlot Mean?
Merlot belongs to the pink family of colors. Pinks are red with the volume turned down. Soft ones read as gentle and personal; hot ones shout happily. Beauty packaging owns the pastel end, youth brands own the neon end, and dusty millennial pink had its entire decade. Being on the dark side, Merlot adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Merlot is classified as a red (nearest centroid: deep purplish red, #78184A).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Merlot
Merlot and #00753B 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 — #750075 and #750000, which sit beside merlot on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair merlot with triadic partners #3B7500 and #003B75. 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
- Siren —
#7A013A(Delta E 3) - Wine —
#80013F(Delta E 5) - Rose Bud Cherry —
#800B47(Delta E 6) - Red Purple —
#820747(Delta E 6) - Black Rose —
#67032D(Delta E 7)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #730039; }
.background { background-color: #730039; }
.border { border: 2px solid #730039; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #73003940; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for merlot?
Merlot has the hex code #730039. In RGB notation it is rgb(115, 0, 57), in HSL it is hsl(330, 100%, 23%), and its OKLCH value is 0.36, 0.146, 0.6.
What does the color merlot mean?
Pink-family colors like merlot carry distinct psychological associations. Merlot belongs to the pink family of colors. Pinks are red with the volume turned down. Soft ones read as gentle and personal; hot ones shout happily. Beauty packaging owns the pastel end, youth brands own the neon end, and dusty millennial pink had its entire decade. Being on the dark side, Merlot adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with merlot?
Merlot has three easy routes: its complement #00753B for punch, its neighbors #750075 and #750000 for something calmer, or triadic partners #3B7500 and #003B75 when you want energy.
Is merlot a standard web color?
No — Merlot is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #730039 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make merlot lighter or darker?
To lighten merlot, 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 #FFBDDE (lightest tint) to #14000A (darkest shade).
About Merlot
Merlot is classified as a Red in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Pink hue family. It has The color is recognized by XKCD, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #730039 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.