Carmine color

It comes from cochineal, an insect raised on prickly pear cactus and used as a dye in Mexico and Peru long before the Spanish arrived. It's an intense, slightly dark red. Its name became closely tied to red lipstick.

Also known as: carmine red.

Carmine · #960018

About carmine

Carmine (#960018) is a warm, dark, highly saturated color. It belongs to the reds family. It mixes 150 red, 0 green and 24 blue (out of 255). It is mostly used in makeup, art, fashion.

Carmine shades and tints

From lightest to darkest. Tap a shade to copy its code.

Carmine color harmonies

Combinations based on the color wheel. More in the color harmony tool.

ComplementaryClose to: Pine green

AnalogousClose to: Plum, Rust

TriadicClose to: Green, Ultramarine

Split complementaryClose to: Forest green, Cerulean

TetradicClose to: Apple green, Pine green, Dark blue

Carmine color palettes

Copy the codes or open a palette in the editor to tweak it.

Monochromatic palette · Carmine

Analogous palette · Carmine

Complementary palette · Carmine

Triadic palette · Carmine

With neutrals palette · Carmine

With an accent palette · Carmine

Carmine contrast with text

White textContrast 9.1:1 · AAA

Black textContrast 2.3:1 · Not recommended

Based on WCAG 2.1 guidelines. Test other pairs in the contrast checker.

CSS code

:root {
  --carmine: #960018;
  --carmine-rgb: 150, 0, 24;
}
.bg { background-color: var(--carmine); }
.text { color: var(--carmine); }

Colors similar to carmine

Ruby Blood red Maroon Brick red Burgundy Cherry red Crimson Rust Chestnut Vermilion

Themed palettes with this color

More reds

Red Crimson Scarlet Vermilion Maroon Burgundy Wine Ruby Cherry red Brick red Blood red Marsala Tomato red Ferrari red Indian red

Frequently asked questions

What is the hex code for carmine?

The hex code for carmine is #960018. In RGB it is rgb(150, 0, 24), in HSL hsl(350, 100%, 29%) and in CMYK 0, 100, 84, 41.

What is the complementary color of carmine?

Its complement on the color wheel is #00967E, close to pine green. Used in small doses, it works as an accent and adds strong contrast.

Can you use white text on carmine?

Yes. The contrast with white is 9.1:1, enough for body text (WCAG AA).