#B21515 Color
#B21515 is rgb(178, 21, 21) in RGB, hsl(0, 79%, 39%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 88%, 88%, 30%) in CMYK. It has no registered color name of its own — the closest is Traffic Red (#C1121C), clearly related but distinguishable side by side at ΔE 5.59. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#B21515rgb(178, 21, 21)hsl(0, 79%, 39%)hsv(0, 88%, 70%)cmyk(0%, 88%, 88%, 30%)oklch(48.8% 0.188 28)lab(38.71% 59.23 45.12)lch(38.71% 74.46 37.30)What #B21515 Is Called
Most hex codes have no name: there are 16.7 million of them and a few thousand registered names. These are the named colors nearest to #B21515, ordered by CIE76 distance in CIELAB. Anything under about ΔE 2 is a difference most people cannot see.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every red in the library.
#B21515 Channel Values
How #B21515 breaks down in each color model. Hue is measured in degrees around the color wheel; saturation, lightness, and the CMYK inks are percentages.
| Model | Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | R 178 · G 21 · B 21 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 0° · S 79% · L 39% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 0° · S 88% · V 70% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 88% · Y 88% · K 30% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 6.97:1 vs white · 3.01:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a #B21515 background. AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Contrast is one check, not a full accessibility review.
Need a specific ratio against another background? Open #B21515 in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With #B21515
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite #B21515; analogous colors sit beside it; triadic and split-complementary sets spread evenly around the wheel. Select any swatch for its own breakdown.
Tints & Shades of #B21515
Lighter tints and darker shades built by moving the lightness channel while holding hue and saturation, which is what you want for hover states, backgrounds, and text variants.
Want a full 50-950 ramp with semantic roles? Generate design tokens from #B21515.
How #B21515 Looks with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulated with the Viénot, Brettel & Mollon LMS projection model. Anomalous types are rendered as partial versions of the matching dichromacy, which is an approximation rather than a per-person clinical model.
#B21515#515111#834113#6D6D00#8E5701#B21515#B21515#595959Using #B21515 in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--color-b21515: #B21515;background-color: #B21515;colors: { 'color-b21515': '#B21515' }Color(red: 0.698, green: 0.082, blue: 0.082)<color name="color_b21515">#B21515</color>fill="#B21515"More Red Colors
#B21515 sits in the red family. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#B21515 Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #B21515?
#B21515 is a dark red — rgb(178, 21, 21) in RGB and hsl(0, 79%, 39%) in HSL. It carries no registered color name of its own; the closest named color is Traffic Red (#C1121C), which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side at a CIE76 distance of 5.59.
What is the RGB value of #B21515?
#B21515 is rgb(178, 21, 21) — red 178, green 21, and blue 21 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #B21515?
#B21515 converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 88%, 88%, 30%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #B21515 be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #B21515 scores 6.97:1 against white and 3.01:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #B21515 as a CSS color keyword?
No. #B21515 is not one of the CSS color keywords, so it has to be written as a hex, rgb() or hsl() value. The closest keyword is firebrick (#B22222) at a CIE76 distance of 6.59, which is clearly related but distinguishable side by side.
Open #B21515 in a Tool
Keep exploring: every red in the color library, the guide to shades of red, or the full color library.