How reds differ
Reds vary along two easy-to-see directions:
- Toward orange or toward blue. Brick, tomato and vermilion lean orange and feel warm and earthy. Crimson, cherry and raspberry lean blue and feel cooler and richer.
- Light to dark. Bright reds shout; burgundy, maroon and oxblood feel serious and luxurious.
Many brand reds sit right in the middle: saturated, medium lightness and close to pure red.
Red and attention
Red draws the eye faster than most colors, which is why it is used for warnings, sales and stop signs. Used everywhere, it loses that power. In interfaces, keep pure reds for errors and destructive actions, and choose a softer or deeper red for decoration.
Contrast notes
White text on a bright red often lands just under 4.5:1, so check the "Aa" figure before using red buttons. Darker reds pass easily. And because people with red-green color vision deficiencies can confuse red with green or brown, never rely on red alone to signal a problem.
Related shades
Crimson red has its own page, as do shades of pink and burnt orange. For the color that balances red, open complementary colors, and for reds that are dark enough for backgrounds, see dark colors.