#A82E33

Color Profile: #A82E33

Common Name: Heartthrob Crimson (deep red)

Discipline: Arts & Entertainment / Visual Art & Design

Core Specs
HEX: #A82E33
RGB: ~ (168, 46, 51)
HSL: ~ (358°, 42%, 57%)
CMYK (process est.): ~ (0, 73, 70, 34)

Accessibility & Contrast
On White (#FFFFFF): ~ 6.8:1 — AA pass (normal & large), AAA near miss.
On Black (#000000): ~ 3.1:1 — AA pass (large text), AA fail (normal).
Tip: For body copy, prefer light backgrounds; on dark UI, reserve this red for large headings, buttons with bold white text, or icons.

Mood & Character
This is a confident, camera-ready crimson: direct, modern, and a bit dramatic. It reads as energetic without slipping into neon territory, so it holds detail in print and UI. Culturally, it nods to classic poster reds and editorial accents—authoritative yet approachable. In motion graphics or branding, it pops fast and photographs consistently.

Close Named Matches
Exact hit: Sherwin-Williams SW 6866 “Heartthrob” — #A82E33 (ΔE=0.00)
Behr S-G-160 “California Poppy” — #A82B32 (ΔE=1.13) — extremely close, ~warm tilt.
Pantone FHI 18-1658 TCX “Pompeian Red” — #A42A2E (ΔE=1.84) — fashion/textile friendly match.
Dunn-Edwards DEA151 “Red Ink” — #AC3235 (ΔE=1.46) — print-savvy twin.
RAL Design 030 40 60 — #AC2C32 (ΔE=2.44) — solid architectural/industrial alignment.

Note: ΔE indicates perceptual distance; values <~2 are visually near-indistinguishable under typical viewing. Always proof on substrate and device.

Why Designers Use It.

• Brand Authority without Shouting: This red feels premium—great for entertainment logos, streaming UI accents, and editorial mastheads where trust and energy need to coexist. It avoids the toy-like vibe of brighter scarlets.
• Print Reliability: The moderate saturation and slightly deep value hold up on coated and uncoated stocks. Spot equivalents (Pantone textiles and RAL/paint) are plentiful, keeping ΔE tight across packaging runs.
• UI/UX Contrast: On white surfaces it achieves ~6.8:1, making CTAs and error states accessible by default. On dark themes, it becomes a powerful status or highlight color for large elements and icons.
• Cultural Versatility: Works for galleries, film posters, and festival branding—reads as contemporary crimson. It also maps well to sports and performing arts where a decisive, photogenic red is key.
• Material & Manufacturing: Translates cleanly to powder coat, anodized accents, and automotive trim as a sophisticated alternative to signal red. Textile applications (stage curtains, costumes, merch) retain depth under stage lighting.
• Packaging & F&B: Suggests ripe warmth (think tomatoes/chili notes) without overshooting into orange; useful for artisanal labels, caps, and seals where heritage cues matter.
• Motion & Screens: On video, it resists clipping in highlights and maintains edge clarity for titles and lower-thirds—handy in trailers, reels, and social cuts.

Quick Use Cheats
Primary on Light UI: #A82E33 with white text and modest shadow for buttons.
Secondary on Dark UI: pair with off-white text and a thin white keyline to hit contrast targets.
Type Pairing: Loves geometric sans for modern posters; pairs with high-contrast serifs for gallery/arts collateral.