Cardinal (#C41E3A)
The hex code for Cardinal is #C41E3A. It is rgb(196, 30, 58) in RGB, hsl(350, 73%, 44%) in HSL, and about cmyk(0%, 85%, 70%, 23%) in CMYK — a mid-tone red. White text is the more readable choice on this background.
#C41E3Argb(196, 30, 58)hsl(350, 73%, 44%)hsv(350, 85%, 77%)cmyk(0%, 85%, 70%, 23%)oklch(53.1% 0.197 19.5)lab(43.46% 63.27 30.11)lch(43.46% 70.07 25.45)Colors Closest to Cardinal
Cardinal is a registered color name. These are the named colors nearest to it, measured as CIE76 distance in CIELAB — a perceptual scale, so the ordering matches what the eye sees rather than how close the raw RGB numbers happen to sit.
Browse the full index of named colors A-Z or every red in the library.
#C41E3A Channel Values
How Cardinal 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 196 · G 30 · B 58 | 8-bit channels as sent to the display |
| HSL | H 350° · S 73% · L 44% | Easiest model for building lighter and darker variants |
| HSV | H 350° · S 85% · V 77% | Matches the picker in most design tools |
| CMYK | C 0% · M 85% · Y 70% · K 23% | Approximate ink mix; confirm with an ICC profile before printing |
| Luminance | 5.84:1 vs white · 3.59:1 vs black | WCAG 2.2 relative-luminance contrast ratios |
Text Contrast & Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 contrast ratios for text on a Cardinal 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 #C41E3A in the contrast checker.
Colors That Go With Cardinal
Pairings derived from color-wheel relationships. The complementary color sits opposite Cardinal; 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 Cardinal
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 #C41E3A.
How Cardinal 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.
#C41E3A#5B5B38#914A39#79792E#9D6133#C32323#C4212E#656565Using #C41E3A in Code
Copy-ready declarations for the places this color usually ends up.
--cardinal: #C41E3A;background-color: #C41E3A;colors: { 'cardinal': '#C41E3A' }Color(red: 0.769, green: 0.118, blue: 0.227)<color name="cardinal">#C41E3A</color>fill="#C41E3A"More Red Colors
Cardinal sits in the redfamily. These are its neighbours across that family's full range, each with its own breakdown.
#C41E3A Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for Cardinal?
The hex code for Cardinal is #C41E3A. That is rgb(196, 30, 58) in RGB, hsl(350, 73%, 44%) in HSL, and approximately cmyk(0%, 85%, 70%, 23%) in CMYK.
What is the RGB value of #C41E3A?
#C41E3A is rgb(196, 30, 58) — red 196, green 30, and blue 58 on the 0-255 scale.
What is the CMYK value of #C41E3A?
#C41E3A converts to approximately cmyk(0%, 85%, 70%, 23%). CMYK output is a mathematical approximation for planning; confirm production print colors with your printer and ICC profile.
Should text on #C41E3A be black or white?
White text is the more readable choice. #C41E3A scores 5.84:1 against white and 3.59:1 against black, and WCAG 2.2 asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal body text.
Can I write #C41E3A as a CSS color keyword?
No. #C41E3A 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 crimson (#DC143C) at a CIE76 distance of 10.61, which is visibly different.
Open Cardinal in a Tool
Keep exploring: every red in the color library, the guide to shades of red, or the full color library.