Red

Colors that go with red

Red (#FF0000) is a medium, vivid red. Colors that go well with red include Cyan (#00FFFF), Experimintal Green (#00FF80), Neon Rose (#FF0080), Oriole (#FF8000), Green (#00FF00). For a safe, polished look, pair red with a soft off-white like #FFF2EF and a deep neutral like #2B130F; for contrast, add a touch of its complement #00FFFF.

Build a red palette #FF0000 color details

Best colors to pair with red

ComplementaryCyan #00FFFF
Opposite red on the color wheel, so it creates the strongest, most energetic contrast. Use it sparingly as an accent.
Split complementaryExperimintal Green #00FF80
Sits next to red's complement: lively contrast with less tension than the direct opposite.
AnalogousNeon Rose #FF0080
A neighbouring hue that blends naturally with red for calm, cohesive designs.
AnalogousOriole #FF8000
The neighbour on the other side of red — pair both for a soft, harmonious scheme.
TriadicGreen #00FF00
One third of the way around the wheel from red: vibrant but balanced.
Light neutralIvory Tower #FFF2EF
An off-white with a hint of red — an easy background that never feels stark.
Dark neutralShadow Play #2B130F
A deep, red-tinted near-black for text and dark sections; softer than pure black.
GrayChorus of Elephants #918786
A warm-or-cool gray matched to red for borders, captions and secondary UI.

Red color palettes

Each palette keeps #FF0000 in the middle; open one in the generator to tweak it.

From our palette library

Text and backgrounds with red

AaText on a red background

5.25:1GoodBlack text on #FF0000

AaRed text on a light background

5.25:1Good#FF0000 text on #000000

Check any other pair with the contrast checker.

FAQ

What colors go with red?

Cyan (#00FFFF), Experimintal Green (#00FF80), Neon Rose (#FF0080), Oriole (#FF8000), Green (#00FF00) go well with red. Neutrals such as #FFF2EF and #2B130F are the easiest companions, and #00FFFF adds bold contrast as its complementary color.

What is the complementary color of red?

The complementary color of red (#FF0000) is #00FFFF (Cyan), which sits opposite it on the color wheel.

What neutral colors go with red?

Off-whites, creams and grays with a slight red tint, such as #FFF2EF and #918786, plus a deep near-black like #2B130F. Tinted neutrals look more cohesive than pure white, gray or black.

What text color should I use on red?

Black text on #FF0000 has a contrast ratio of 5.25:1 (good). For red text, use a background like #000000 (5.25:1, good).

Is red a warm or cool color?

Red is a warm color in the red family.

More red colors

All colors