Characterising the colour red: colour codes, shades and mixing techniques

The colour red is one of the most intense and vivid colours that has a special effect on the human psyche. Often a symbol of emotion, passion and love, it is also a symbol of strength, power and courage. In nature, the colour red represents ripe fruit, the vibrant petals of flowers and blood, which shows a surge of vitality and energy. In human cultures, red is often associated with warning and danger, for example through traffic lights and alarm systems.

According to colour psychology, the colour red activates the human body, increasing heart rate and stimulating adrenaline production, which often leads to increased alertness and excitement. It also plays an important role in marketing, where it serves to attract attention and create a sense of urgency. For example, the colour red is often used in promotional advertisements to encourage purchase. Overall, the colour red has a rich emotional and symbolic charge that evokes the deepest human feelings and reactions.

RGB and HEX colour codes for red

The red colour is RGB (255, 0, 0) and the HEX code is #FF0000.

Colour scheme	Code/Weights
Hex	#FF0000
RGB	rgb(255, 0, 0)
HSL	hsl(0, 100%, 50%)
HSV/HSB	hsv(0, 100%, 100%)
CMYK	cmyk(0, 1, 1, 0)
Contrasting colour	#00FFFF
Complementary colour	#00FF00

Dark and light shades of red

Click on the colour codes below to copy them to the clipboard.

Dark shades

Light shades

Complementary colour palettes of red

The versatility of the colour red allows it to be combined with a wide range of palettes. In this section, we present the different complementary, analogue, monochromatic, triad, tetrad, split complementary and neutral colour palettes of red, each consisting of 4 colours, two light and two dark shades.

Complementary palette

Analogue palette

Monochrome palette

Triad palette

Tetrade palette

Split complementary palette

Neutral palette

what is the colour of red?

The colour red is part of the visible light spectrum, which is at a wavelength of about 620-750 nanometres. The intensity and hue of the colour red can vary depending on what other colours or light sources are combined with it. Red is a primary colour in the colour wheel and is often associated with concepts such as love, passion, energy and attention.

What is the colour of red?

The colour of the red colour depends on the wavelength of the red part of the visible spectrum, usually between 620 and 750 nanometres. The exact hue is based on subtle variations in wavelength and can be influenced by various factors such as the quality of pigments, the light source and ambient lighting conditions.

How is red colour colour mixing possible?

The red colour can be produced by RGB colour mixing so that the red (R), Green (G) and blue (B) components, only the red component is used, so the combination RGB(255, 0, 0) is used. In painting and other traditional colour mixing methods, red is considered a primary colour, so it is not mixed directly from other colours, but used as a base colour.