# #ca3a21

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

## Values

- Hex: `#ca3a21`
- RGB: rgb(202, 58, 33)
- HSL: hsl(9, 72%, 46%)
- OKLCH: oklch(0.561 0.185 32.3)
- Relative luminance: 0.1569
- Nearest named color: Bento Box (#cc363c, Δ 2.836) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/bento-box
- Moods: warm, vivid, playful, bold
- Page: https://brandsweets.com/colors/ca3a21

## Tints & shades

- Tints (toward white): #dc4328, #e0563e, #e46d58, #e7806e, #eb9484, #efa79a, #f2bab0, #f6d1ca, #fae4e0, #fef7f6
- Shades (toward black): #b8351e, #a7301b, #912a18, #7f2515, #6e2012, #5c1b0f, #4b160c, #350f09, #230a06, #120503

## Harmonies

- Complementary: #21b0ca
- Analogous: #ca215c, #ca8f21
- Triadic: #21ca3a, #3a21ca
- Split-complementary: #21ca8f, #215cca
- Tetradic: #5cca21, #21b0ca, #8f21ca

## Colors that go with #ca3a21

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

- **Charcoal** #36454f [role, pool] — Charcoal is the body-text near-black for #ca3a21: 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), Logitech (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/logitech-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/charcoal
- **Royal Blue** #4169e1 [harmony, pool: triadic] — Royal Blue completes a triad with #ca3a21 — three hues spaced evenly round the wheel, the classic way to get energy into a palette without a clash. Seen in: Foot Locker (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/footlocker-com), Coinbase (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/coinbase), Behance (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/behance-net), Toyota (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/toyota-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/royalblue
- **Sea Green** #2e8b57 [harmony, pool: triadic] — Sea Green completes a triad with #ca3a21 — 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 #ca3a21: nearly opposite, so it still pops against it, without the vibrating edge of a true complement. Seen in: Honda (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/honda-com), Wendy's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/wendys-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 #ca3a21 on the wheel — the strongest contrast one hue can give another, so use it small: a button, a link colour, one highlight. Seen in: Redfin (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/redfin-com), Magazine Ochre (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/editorial#magazine-ochre), Gemstone (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/vivid#gemstone). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/teal
- **Amber** #ffbf00 [pool] — Amber is paired with #ca3a21 in 7 real palettes, including Trailhead and McDonald's's brand system, as the accent. Seen in: Trailhead (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#trailhead), McDonald's (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mcdonalds-com), Maple (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/warm#maple), Ember (https://brandsweets.com/palettes/bold#ember). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/amber
- **Blue** #0000ff [pool] — 8 real palettes, including Tim Hortons's brand system and Doordash's brand system put Blue beside #ca3a21, as the accent. Seen in: Tim Hortons (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/timhortons-com), Doordash (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/doordash-com), native Cybersecurity (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/crowdstrike-com), Dunkin' (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/dunkindonuts-com). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/blue
- **Cobalt Blue** #0047ab [pool] — Designers have shipped Cobalt Blue with #ca3a21: 5 real palettes, including Behance's brand system and Walgreens's brand system, as the supporting colour. Seen in: Behance (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/behance-net), Walgreens (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/walgreens-com), MLB (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/mlb-com), NASA (https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/nasa-gov). — https://brandsweets.com/colors/cobalt

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

- On white (#ffffff): 5.07:1 — AA pass, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AAA: text → #a22f1a (7.1:1)
- On black (#000000): 4.14:1 — AA fail, AA-large pass, AAA fail. Fix: AA: text → #d73e23 (4.6:1); AA: background → #f2f2f2 (4.53:1); AAA: text → #e57561 (7.05:1)

## Brands using this color

- **IHG** — secondary #c7370f (Δ 1.23) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/ihg-com
- **Casper Sleep** — primary #cc3b31 (Δ 1.406) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/casper-com
- **Aesop** — secondary #ca432f (Δ 1.528) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/aesop-com
- **Etsy** — secondary #cf4018 (Δ 1.726) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/etsy-com
- **Foot Locker** — secondary #d12e20 (Δ 1.824) — https://brandsweets.com/colors/brands/footlocker-com

## 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/ca3a21-c4a79c-62cba8-2d271f-f1e9ec?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: "#ca3a21" })`), `check_contrast` (with fixes), `generate_palette` (explore around locks), `suggest_palette` (mood/industry → curated-first), `list_palettes`.