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Redeem nowInspiration in the color red.
Learn the history and meaning of the color red, one of the most influential colors across history.
Get inspired with red design templates.
The color red is as powerful physically as it is emotionally.
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How to use the color red.
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Combine red with other colors.
The color red becomes less intense when combined with light blue or cyan. It can also keep its power but dial down the intensity next to cream or off-white. For a fruity palette, combine red with other warm colors like orange and yellow and offset the intensity with lots of white.
Use red to seal the deal.
The color red can become exhausting if looked at for too long. The same physical and emotional effects that make red a powerful color also make it dangerously intense. The color red is a beautiful accent color or highlight. Red color can also be used to cue people to take a final action on something.
What happens when you mix the passion and power of red?
Red is a vibrant color that inspires some of the strongest emotions. Bloodshed during war is how red became tied to violence. The rush of blood to the face is how red came to mean anger, too. It’s that same flush, however, that keeps red connected to desire, love, and sensuality. The color red combines strong emotions with physical responses, like an increase in heart rate.
Shades of the color red.
Classic red lends its power to other shades of red, too. Maroon (a dark red with brown undertones) is sultrier. Scarlet (a bright red with a hint of orange) is even more insistent for attention. Crimson (a blueish-red) takes the natural heat of red and cools it to a complex hue.
Information about red color.
The red HEX code picker is #FF0000. The color red is a brilliant and powerful shade that gains instant attention.
The color red can be achieved in a RGB space with 255 red, 0 green, and 0 blue. Red color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 0% cyan, 99% magenta, 100% yellow, and 0% black.
The history of red.
After black and white, red was the first color that was mastered.
Red was the first color reproduced in pigments after black and white. Evidence has shown that Stone Age red paint was used 40,000 years ago to paint hunters’ bodies. By the prehistoric era, red dye from ochre was commonly used in wall art. The Ancient Egyptians and Mayans used red coloring on their faces in ceremonies, and Roman generals painted their bodies red to celebrate victory.
Red color gained religious significance and power in the Middle Ages.
The Middle Ages inspired new religious adoption of the color red. The Catholic church believed that red represented the blood of Christ and the fires of hell. During the Renaissance, red color was also used to draw attention to the most influential figures in paintings, often with religious references. Nobility and the rich began to wear red garments because of the perceived power of the color.
Modern takes on the color red.
The 20th century took the power of red and applied it to new institutions. Russia adopted a red flag after the Bolshevik Revolution. North Vietnam (and eventually all of Vietnam) adopted the red flag in 1954 and 1975, respectively. Before communism, red was already one of the most common colors in national flags. Today, surveys in Europe and the United States show that the color red is most associated with heat, anger, and passion.
The color red across different cultures.
Red color stirs emotional and physical reactions that shape how cultures view it.
The color red has many positive associations, like love and desire. Red color also has negative ties to anger and war. There are complex meanings that red touches, too, like sacrifice. The only thing these meanings share is that they are powerful emotions. The Chinese associate red with the best fortune. Wedding dresses are red for that reason. In India, the color red is tied to purity. In the West, red is linked to sensuality or anger. Wherever red goes, passion follows.
The color red represents power, and it also grants it.
Red color has power over our emotions. Throughout time, red has been the color of choice to represent power, too. A Ferrari seems faster when it’s painted red. People of note are invited to enter spaces over a red carpet. Wearing red makes both men and women seem more attractive to onlookers, too, because red is seen as a statement of their own confidence.
The color red appears in many idioms that add layers to its meaning.
To be “caught red handed” refers to being caught in wrongdoing, alluding to a murderer with bloodstained hands. More relatable, everyone has endured a slow-moving process with “red tape.” This papal reference dates to when Henry VIII tried to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Each petition he sent was bound with mandatory red tape. As for something “not worth a red cent,” this is an American redundancy. A penny, made from copper, was called “red.” A penny is also a cent.