Here are some ways to use crimson red in your designs:

• Draw attention. A user’s eye is naturally drawn to bright and vivid hues like crimson red, making it the perfect color for drawing attention to important elements on a page.
• Encourage action. You can use crimson red for CTAs and other important buttons to encourage users to take action or convince them to buy your products. It’s also useful for reaction buttons, such as likes on Instagram or the “Subscribe” button on YouTube.
• Make an impression. Crimson red’s memorable and eye-catching vibrancy can be a staple branding color. Using crimson red for bold designs makes a lasting impression and convinces users to interact with your brand.

Keep in mind that color and its meaning can change from culture to culture—and at any given time. If you are designing for a global audience, research color considerations for your specific regions.

For variations within the same rich spectrum as crimson red, consider:

• Red (#FF2C2C) is at the core of crimson red’s hue and shares the same brightness.
• Cinnabar (#E84B3D) sways more orange but shares a similar warmth to crimson red.
• Chili red (#CD1C18) is a fiery shade that’s slightly brighter but exudes a similar energy.
• Ruby (#E0115F) shares the same deepness with a touch more pink.

To complement crimson red, consider pairing it with:

• Dark gray (#A9A9A9) offers a touch of warmth for a cozy yet sophisticated color palette.
• Beige (#EDE8D0) provides a neutral background and tones down the boldness of crimson red.
• Bronze (#CD7F32) creates a luxurious and grand color combination for a modern Victorian feel.
• Pastel red (#FF746C) adds a touch of softness to a monochromatic color palette.

Other colors worth considering include cream for crimson red to pop, peach for a warm and sunny look, and navy blue for a classic pairing.

While crimson is a rich shade of red, it may clash with:

• Neon green (#2CFF05) can be visually distracting when paired with crimson red, and those with color vision deficiency cannot differentiate the two.
• Chartreuse (#CCFF00) can create visual conflict when paired with crimson red.
• Electric blue (#00F0FF) may clash with crimson red’s warmth due to its coolness.
• Fuchsia (#FF00FF) may conflict with crimson red due to its brightness, leading to a busy and distracting look.
• Vermilion (#E34234) is very similar to crimson red and may create a discordant color scheme.

Crimson red evokes feelings of warmth, love, and excitement. In many cultures, red symbolizes wealth and status, as seen in cultural artifacts and clothing.

In Chinese culture, for example, crimson red symbolizes wealth and virtue and was a prominent color used for emperors’ robes. In Christianity, crimson red is a symbol of love and forgiveness and is often a color seen used on Bible covers. In modern American culture, crimson red is a status symbol, most notably the color of the red carpet seen at high-profile events and parties.

However, the color crimson red can also awaken aggression or a sense of urgency, symbolizing feelings of anger and frustration.

The color crimson red comes from Kermes dye, produced from Kermes vermilio insects. People crushed the dried bodies of Kermes insects to create a rich and vivid dye used in textiles, art, and religious artifacts.

Crimson’s etymology journey spans across several languages, taking many forms. For example, the Arabic word “qirmizi” and the medieval Latin word “cremesinus” described the deep red-colored dye produced by these insects. The color crimson red was eventually recorded in English during the 1400s.

Crimson red and most shades of red are historically associated with passion, love, and power. However, crimson red can also symbolize anger and danger. Over the years, the symbolism remains the same, and cultural artifacts and art still use the color.

Color variations

Shades

Tints

Tones

Hues

Color harmonies

Custom palettes

Contrast checker

Color simulations

Protanopia

Deuteranopia

Tritanopia

Achromatopsia

The hexadecimal color #B22222, known as crimson red, has RGB values of R:178, G:34, B:34 and CMYK values of C:0, M:81, Y:81, K:30.