RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In Western contexts, cardinal red symbolizes passion and action, often seen in celebratory environments. However, in certain Eastern traditions, it can signify good fortune and happiness, reflecting a duality in its emotional resonance across cultures.
The term 'cardinal' has roots in the Latin word 'cardinalis,' meaning 'principal' or 'important.' This color became prominent in the 16th century, when it was adopted by the Catholic Church for the vestments of cardinals, making it a symbol of authority and prestige.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Cardinal. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 33 Reds →Nine steps of Cardinal by lightness — from #66101E (darkest) to #E08A99 (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Cardinal at 170° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Cardinal.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Cardinal anchored at 500 — ready to drop into a design system. Click any step to copy.
Works well as text on light backgrounds; fails on dark.
Thresholds: AA needs 4.5:1 (normal text) / 3:1 (large); AAA needs 7:1 / 4.5:1. Large = 18pt+ or 14pt+ bold.
Copy-ready values for CSS, screen and print, plus the extra conversions designers reach for.
color: #C41E3A; color-mix(in srgb, #C41E3A 70%, white) 350°, 85%, 77% 0, 85, 70, 23 12852794 #CC3333 How Cardinal appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.