# #b3281e

A color — warm, vivid, playful, bold. Deterministic analysis from BrandSweets (no inference).

## Values

- Hex: `#b3281e`
- RGB: rgb(179, 40, 30)
- HSL: hsl(4, 71%, 41%)
- OKLCH: oklch(0.503 0.177 29.1)
- Relative luminance: 0.112
- Nearest named color: firebrick (#b22222, Δ 0.989) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/firebrick
- Moods: warm, vivid, playful, bold
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/colors/b3281e

## Tints & shades

- Tints (toward white): #cd2e23, #dc392e, #e05248, #e46b62, #e9837c, #ed9892, #f1b1ac, #f5c9c6, #f9dedc, #fef7f6
- Shades (toward black): #a1241b, #942119, #831d16, #711a13, #641711, #53130e, #410f0b, #300b08, #230806, #110403

## Harmonies

- Complementary: #1ea9b3
- Analogous: #b31e5f, #b3721e
- Triadic: #1eb328, #281eb3
- Split-complementary: #1eb372, #1e5fb3
- Tetradic: #5fb31e, #1ea9b3, #721eb3

## Colors that go with #b3281e

Named partners (harmony on the OKLCH wheel, co-occurrence in curated palettes and brand systems, and the neutrals that carry it), best first:

- **Royal Blue** #4169e1 [harmony, pool: triadic] — Royal Blue completes a triad with #b3281e — three hues spaced evenly round the wheel, the classic way to get energy into a palette without a clash. Seen in: Bose (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/bose-com), Behance (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/behance-net), Coinbase (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/coinbase), Foot Locker (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/footlocker-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/royalblue
- **Sea Green** #2e8b57 [harmony, pool: triadic] — Sea Green completes a triad with #b3281e — three hues spaced evenly round the wheel, the classic way to get energy into a palette without a clash. Seen in: Coinbase (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/coinbase), Five Guys (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/fiveguys-com), Netflix (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/netflix), Wellness (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#wellness). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/seagreen
- **Steel Blue** #4682b4 [harmony, pool: split] — Steel Blue is a split-complement of #b3281e: nearly opposite, so it still pops against it, without the vibrating edge of a true complement. Seen in: Wendy's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wendys-com), Honda (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/honda-com), NASCAR (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/nascar-com), Wired (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wired-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/steelblue
- **Teal** #008080 [harmony, pool: complementary] — Teal sits directly opposite #b3281e on the wheel — the strongest contrast one hue can give another, so use it small: a button, a link colour, one highlight. Seen in: Magazine Ochre (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/editorial#magazine-ochre), Redfin (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/redfin-com), Gemstone (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/vivid#gemstone), Saffron (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#saffron). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/teal
- **Amber** #ffbf00 [pool] — Amber is paired with #b3281e in 5 real palettes, including Ember and Maple, as the accent. Seen in: Ember (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/bold#ember), Maple (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#maple), Trailhead (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#trailhead), McDonald's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/amber
- **Blue** #0000ff [pool] — 4 real palettes, including Tim Hortons's brand system and Dunkin''s brand system put Blue beside #b3281e, as the accent. Seen in: Tim Hortons (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/timhortons-com), Dunkin' (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/dunkindonuts-com), Doordash (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/doordash-com), native Cybersecurity (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/crowdstrike-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blue
- **Champagne** #f7e7ce [pool] — 4 real palettes, including Woodsmoke and BrandSweets's brand system put Champagne beside #b3281e, as the text colour against it. Seen in: Woodsmoke (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/dark#woodsmoke), BrandSweets (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/brandsweets), LG (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/lg-com), Darkroom (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/muted#darkroom). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/champagne
- **Charcoal** #36454f [role, pool] — Charcoal is the body-text near-black for #b3281e: its slight blue cast keeps type crisp beside a warm colour where pure #000 looks heavy. Seen in: IHG (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ihg-com), Codecademy (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/codecademy-com), Frost & Ember (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/bold#frost-and-ember). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/charcoal

## Contrast (WCAG 2.x, as text)

- On white (#ffffff): 6.48:1 — AA pass, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AAA: text → #a6251c (7.23:1)
- On black (#000000): 3.24:1 — AA fail, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AA: text → #db3529 (4.55:1); AA: background → #d9d9d9 (4.59:1); AAA: text → #e6736b (7.03:1)

## Brands using this color

- **Chipotle** — primary #ac241c (Δ 1.678) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/chipotle-com
- **Tommy Hilfiger** — secondary #b9252d (Δ 1.951) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/tommy-com

## Curated palettes containing it

- **Newsprint** (editorial, muted, warm) — #b91c1c, #78716c, #d97706, #f5f1ea, #1c1917 — Ink-black on warm paper with a single red — the broadsheet hierarchy that lets typography lead. — tool: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/b91c1c-78716c-d97706-f5f1ea-1c1917 — collection: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/editorial

## Fonts for this mood

- warm: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/warm
- playful: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/playful
- bold: https://brandsweets.com/fonts/mood/bold

## Palette tool

Open this color locked as the lead with four explored companions: https://brandsweets.com/palettes/new/b3281e-c4a39c-62cb9f-2d261f-f1e9ed?lock=0&style=vibrant
(Humans lock/regenerate in the tool; the URL is the state — read `lock=` back to see what they kept.)

## Connect an agent

Point any MCP client at the BrandSweets colors endpoint for the same engine:

- Endpoint: https://mcp.brandsweets.com/colors/mcp
- Tools: `analyze_color` (e.g. `analyze_color({ color: "#b3281e" })`), `check_contrast` (with fixes), `generate_palette` (explore around locks), `suggest_palette` (mood/industry → curated-first), `list_palettes`.