RAL and NCS values are nearest equivalents, not official designations.
In many cultures, Lava symbolizes passion and vitality, often associated with strong emotions and action. While it signifies love and desire in the West, in some Indigenous cultures, it represents the raw power of nature and transformation.
The term 'lava' originates from the Italian word 'lava', which means 'stream' or 'to wash'. The color gained prominence in the late 19th century as artists began using vivid, synthetic pigments to capture the dynamic essence of volcanic landscapes in their works.
Ranked by CIE76 ΔE — the perceptual distance from Lava. Lower ΔE means a closer match (below ~2 is barely distinguishable).
All 33 Reds →Nine steps of Lava by lightness — from #6C0811 (darkest) to #E6838B (lightest). Click any to copy.
Sitting opposite Lava at 175° on the color wheel, these give the highest-contrast pairings.
Curated 5-color combinations featuring Lava.
A 50–900 tonal scale with Lava 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: #CF1020; color-mix(in srgb, #CF1020 70%, white) 355°, 92%, 81% 0, 92, 85, 19 13570080 #CC0033 How Lava appears to viewers with the three main types of color blindness (~1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women). Simulated approximations.