Scarlet
Energy and daring, like a flag in the sun.
About scarlet
Scarlet tends to suggest energy and daring, like a flag in the sun. It feels loud and hot.
- What color is scarlet?
- Scarlet is a vivid red with a little orange in it. Its hex code is #FF2400.
- Is scarlet warm or cool?
- Warm: it sits on the warm side of the color wheel, with the reds, oranges and yellows. It is a mid-tone color, value 5 of 10, and its opposite is emerald green. More in warm and cool colors.
- Where the name comes from
- From the medieval Latin scarlatum, first the name of a fine cloth, often dyed this color.
- Value and codes
- Value 5 of 10, in the red family. RGB 255, 36, 0. OKLCH 63.8% 0.248 31.0.
Where to use scarlet
In a room
One chair, a lamp or the inside of a cupboard. A whole wall can be a lot.
In an outfit
A coat, a bag or red lips. It works well with black, white and denim.
In art
A strong accent. A small touch can hold a whole picture.
In design
On white its contrast is 3.8 to 1: fine for large headings, too light for small text. Dark text on it reads well, at 4.2 to 1.
What scarlet pairs with
- Ivory
A clean light that keeps it fresh.
- Navy
Deep blue, a sharp classic.
- Gunmetal
A dark gray that calms the heat.
- Powder blue
A pale cool note for contrast.
The opposite of scarlet: Emerald Green #1C8F62
Opposite scarlet on the color wheel sits emerald green. Side by side, each makes the other look stronger; mixed, they turn each other gray.
Side by side
Scarlet around emerald green
Emerald Green around scarlet
Often confused with scarlet
How to mix scarlet in paint
- On its own
cadmium red light
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. Straight from the tube. It uses a paint beyond the basics. Practice in our Paint Mixer game.
Scarlet tints, tones and shades
Tints
Tones
Shades
Tap a color to copy its code. A tint adds white, a tone adds gray of the same lightness, and a shade adds black. More in tints, tones and shades.
Scarlet in paintings
Colors similar to scarlet
Scarlet inspiration
Find your own colors
Add the pictures you love to Color Taste to see which colors they share, or make a palette from one photo in Image to Palette.