Indian Red meaning and palette guide
HEX
#CD5C5C
RGB
205, 92, 92
HSL
0°, 53%, 58%
HSV
0°, 55%, 80%
Indian red is a softened, brownish red — think terracotta dust on a dry path rather than a fresh rose petal. #CD5C5C calms loud layouts and suits organic brands, pottery, and editorial photography where saturated reds fight the subject. It gives you a red family member that can sit next to khaki, sage, and oatmeal without stealing the scene.
Best for
Internal tools, team dashboards, and knowledge-base layouts.
Compare with
Accessibility
Check contrast before using indian red for text-heavy layouts, especially on low-contrast backgrounds.
How does indian red compare to nearby colors?
What is the difference between indian red and terracotta?
Indian Red (#CD5C5C) and Terracotta (#E2725B) are close enough that the split is more about finish than headline contrast: Indian Red feels more ripe and polished, while Terracotta reads more citrus-bright. Indian Red and Terracotta are close enough to substitute for each other, but they do not create the same supporting cast once typography, photography, and neutrals are added. Start with indian red when the palette wants more ripe and polished; switch to terracotta when the better fit is citrus-bright.
What color is indian red?
Indian red appears as a traditional artists' pigment name and as a named color in digital palettes. The label consistently denotes a muted, earthy red in modern design usage.
What is the hex code for indian red?
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #CD5C5C |
| RGB | rgb(205, 92, 92) |
| HSL | hsl(0°, 53%, 58%) |
| HSV / HSB | hsv(0°, 55%, 80%) |
| CMYK (approx.) | cmyk(0%, 55%, 55%, 20%) |
Convert Indian Red to other color formats
Open the color converter with Indian Red (#CD5C5C) prefilled to copy RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, or OKLCH values.
Convert Indian Red in the color converter →What does indian red mean in design?
Muted reds like indian red are often associated with handmade goods, heritage craft, and natural materials. It tends to read quieter and more soil-toned than brick red, and far less intense than vermillion or scarlet.
How do I use indian red in code?
| CSS (hex) | color: #CD5C5C; |
| CSS (rgb) | color: rgb(205, 92, 92); |
| CSS (hsl) | color: hsl(0, 53%, 58%); |
| RGB % | rgb(80%, 36%, 36%) |
| Tailwind | text-[#CD5C5C] |
| SwiftUI | Color(red: 0.804, green: 0.361, blue: 0.361) |
| UIKit | UIColor(red: 0.804, green: 0.361, blue: 0.361, alpha: 1.0) |
| Android | Color.rgb(205, 92, 92) |
| Compose | Color(0xFFCD5C5C) |
| Web Safe | #CC6666 |
Is indian red accessible?
| Combination | Ratio | AA | AA lg | AAA | AAA lg | UI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AaWhite text on this color | 3.98:1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| AaBlack text on this color | 5.28:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AaThis color as text on white | 3.98:1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| AaThis color as text on black | 5.28:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
WCAG 2.1: AA normal ≥ 4.5:1, AA large text ≥ 3:1, AAA normal ≥ 7:1, AAA large ≥ 4.5:1, UI components ≥ 3:1.
How does indian red look with color blindness?
Simulated appearance for common types of color vision deficiency. Actual perception varies by individual.
What colors go with indian red
Charcoal gives indian red a modern dark partner that feels softer and more material than default black.
Navy blue steadies indian red by adding a sober dark value, which is why the pair can work beyond alerts and sports-style emphasis.
Cream helps indian red read warmer, softer, and less screen-hard than it would beside pure white.
Pairing indian red with gold shifts the palette toward a more dressed-up register and away from plain utilitarian color.
Slate Gray acts more like structure than spectacle beside indian red, which is often exactly what a stronger source color needs.
What colors clash with indian red
Neon Green changes the meaning of indian red too abruptly, replacing the source color's brand accents and editorial emphasis cues with something much louder and less stable.
With indian red, magenta introduces a second emotional story instead of reinforcing the first one, so the palette can feel internally split.
Cyan redirects indian red toward a more technical, backlit interpretation, which is risky when the goal is warmth, polish, or print-minded editorial work.
With indian red, Pastel Pink often steers the system toward nursery or confectionery cues instead of the more grounded mood the source color supports.
How should I use indian red in design?
- •Try indian red for section backgrounds, card fills, or brand-secondary roles where you want color without overpowering the content.
- •Indian Red leans warm, so cool counterparts like navy, teal, or slate create the cleanest contrast. For a softer, tonal look, stay within neighboring warm hues and let value differences do the work.
- •Indian Red works in sales materials, alert UI, and anywhere that calls for confident energy — balance it with neutral space so the emphasis stays focused.
What are good indian red palettes?
Design with indian red in Moda
Create a presentation or document using indian red as your accent color. Moda's AI applies your color palette automatically.
Create a design with indian red →What are the shades and tints of indian red?
Shades (darker)
Tints (lighter)
Tones (desaturated)
Hue variations
What are the color harmonies for indian red?
Harmonies are calculated from the base swatch. When a harmony matches a named color page, it links there; otherwise it appears here as a computed reference swatch.
Similar colors
Brick Red
Brick Red lives in the same neighborhood as indian red, but the finish shift is enough to make one feel better for brand accents and editorial emphasis and the other for a different visual context.
Terracotta
Terracotta sits close to indian red on the wheel, but it carries more pigment pressure, which makes it better for faster emphasis and brighter accent work than for broader coverage and quieter supporting roles.
Vermillion
Vermillion sits close to indian red on the wheel, but it carries more pigment pressure, which makes it better for faster emphasis and brighter accent work than for broader coverage and quieter supporting roles.
Coral Red
Coral Red is nearly adjacent to indian red in hue; what separates them is intensity, with coral red reading cleaner and more assertive.
Cherry
Cherry sits close to indian red on the wheel, but it carries more pigment pressure, which makes it better for faster emphasis and brighter accent work than for broader coverage and quieter supporting roles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hex code for indian red?
The hex code for indian red is #CD5C5C. In RGB, that's 205 red, 92 green, and 92 blue. The approximate CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 55% magenta, 55% yellow, and 20% key (black).
Is indian red a warm or cool color?
Indian Red sits on the warm side of the palette, so it pairs easily with other warm tones and becomes more energetic when you place it against cooler blues or blue-grays.
Is indian red better for accents, structure, or surfaces?
Indian Red sits in the usable middle: strong enough to anchor a section or call attention to a key moment, but calm enough to support a broader system when the surrounding values are well managed.
Where does indian red work best in a layout?
Indian Red sits in the middle of the spectrum in a useful way: strong enough for emphasis, but controlled enough to support a broader brand or presentation system when the contrast is handled well.
Is indian red accessible?
Indian Red works better with dark text than white text. Black text reaches 5.28:1 contrast on the swatch, which makes the color more usable as a background or highlight surface than as a dark panel.
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Last updated April 6, 2026
Color values are computed from the listed hex code using standard conversion formulas. RGB, HSL, and HSV are exact screen-ready conversions. CMYK is an approximate on-screen reference, not a press-ready print specification. Pairings, palettes, and use-case guidance are heuristic recommendations derived from color relationships, contrast behavior, and common presentation, document, and UI patterns.