Seeing red? Learn all about scarlet.

Learn what goes into the color scarlet and how to use it in your designs.

You may know it from the classic board game Clue (Miss Scarlet, in the living room, with the candlestick). Or maybe from high school English (The Scarlet Letter) or history class (Scarlet fever). Whatever your memory of scarlet is, a bright, bold shade of red likely comes to mind when you hear the word. Learn more about what makes scarlet scarlet — and how to make beautiful, colorful designs with it.

Some scarlet background.

Hex #FF2400 has RGB values of R: 100, G: 14.1, and B: 0. Scarlet is closely related to red (#FF0000), orange (#FFA500), and red-orange (#FF5349) hues, and is an essential ingredient in any bold color palette.

Note that all reds, including scarlet, are associated with strong passions, including religious ceremonials. Think of Catholic cardinals donning scarlet vestments to symbolize the blood and sacrifice of Christian martyrs, or Tibetan Buddhist monks wearing their traditional robes of saffron and maroon. In addition to passion, scarlet has also come to signify joy and love.

Make scarlet even more stunning.

Try combining scarlet with neutrals like beige and tan for a sophisticated pop, rich tones like deep green and brown for an earthy aesthetic, or loud colors like yellow and orange for a statement style.

Learn what different colors can bring to your art and discover more about graphic design with helpful tips and resources. Find out what you can make — from logos and icons to illustrations and poster art — with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.