Colors Encyclopedia

Named color

Pompeian Red

Pompeian Red color #A42A04: RGB 164, 42, 4 and HSL 14°, 95%, 33%. Explore its warm red profile, contrast, CSS, palettes and harmonies.

#A42A04 red warm balanced
HEX #A42A04
RGB rgb(164, 42, 4)
HSL hsl(14 95% 33%)
CMYK cmyk(0, 74, 98, 36)
Luminance 0.0956
Contrast Black 2.91:1White 7.21:1

Use this color

Create with Pompeian Red

Open a professional color tool with #A42A04 already applied. Each configuration stays canonical to the tool and can be adjusted or shared.

All color tools
Generate palette & CSS variablesCreate 50–950 tokens and export CSS, SCSS, JSON, or Tailwind.Open configured tool →Open in Gradient StudioStart with Pompeian Red and its complementary color.Open configured tool →Mix this colorBlend it with a complementary color and copy color-mix() CSS.Open configured tool →Check contrastOpen the strongest black or white background pairing.Open configured tool →Accessible combinationsReview AA and AAA text options, alternatives, warnings, and UI guidance.Open configured tool →Create glass surfaceUse this color as the tint for a translucent UI panel.Open configured tool →

CSS Utilities

--color-pompeian-red: #A42A04;
.bg-pompeian-red { background-color: #A42A04; }
.text-pompeian-red { color: #A42A04; }
Open CSS utility pageReusable variables, classes, examples, and implementation notes

Color history, meaning and use · Editorially reviewed

About Pompeian Red Color

Pompeian red sounds precise, but Getty records it as an unstandardized pigment name applied to materials including Pozzuoli red, Tuscan red, and dragon’s blood. As a color term it describes variable reddish oranges resembling pigments sold under that label. The distinction matters: the famous red fields associated with Roman wall painting do not collapse into one timeless commercial formula or one exact screen coordinate.

Used digitally, Pompeian Red brings architectural warmth and archaeological association to restrained palettes of plaster, charcoal, limestone, and bronze. It works best as a contextual color name rather than a promise of reconstruction accuracy. Lighting, binder, burial conditions, restoration, and pigment composition can all change a surviving wall surface, while an RGB display adds its own variability.

This page describes a variable modern color reference; it does not identify an ancient pigment, reconstruct a Pompeian interior, or certify historical accuracy.

WCAG Accessibility

Contrast checks for Pompeian Red against black and white text.

Black text2.91:1AA Fail
White text7.21:1AA Pass
AA text options#FFFFFF, #F5F5F5
AAA text options#FFFFFF
Open WCAG pageDetailed contrast notes, warnings, alternatives, and UI examples

Downloadable color reference infographic

Pompeian Red Color Reference Infographic

Save a high-resolution infographic of Pompeian Red, including its color values, coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.

1200 × 800
Pompeian Red color reference infographic showing #A42A04, RGB and HSL values, a coordinated palette, and black and white text contrast.
Pompeian Red color reference infographic generated from the verified Colors Encyclopedia dataset.
Download WebPDownload SVGOpen full size

Color Harmonies

#047FA4#047FA4#A4042F#A4042F#A47904#A47904#04A42A#04A42A#2A04A4#2A04A4
Open full Pompeian Red harmony pageComplementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split, and monochromatic sets

Variants

#F9430B#F9430B#4B1302#4B1302#A82700#A82700#923317#923317#EA663E#EA663E#D13100#D13100

Pairings

White#FFFFFF#047FA4#047FA4#A4042F#A4042F#A47904#A47904Matte Black#1A1A1AWhite Smoke#F5F5F5

Machine-readable data

Machine-Readable Color Data (JSON)

Perfect for CSS, design systems, automation, and AI ingestion.

AI-Ready Dataset v1.0.0
Luminance0.0956
Black text2.91:1AA Fail
White text7.21:1AA Pass
hexCanonical HEX value
rgbRed, green, blue channels
hslHue, saturation, lightness
cmykApproximate print conversion
wcagAA and AAA contrast options
harmoniesMathematical harmony sets
variantsGenerated tone variants
nearestColorsKnowledge graph neighbors
Download JSON Open API
Structured sections
Color systems
{
  "hex": "#A42A04",
  "rgb": [
    164,
    42,
    4
  ],
  "hsl": [
    14,
    95,
    33
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    74,
    98,
    36
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0956,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 2.91,
    "white": 7.21
  }
}
WCAG
{
  "AA": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#F5F5F5"
  ],
  "AAA": [
    "#FFFFFF"
  ]
}
Harmonies
{
  "complementary": "#047FA4",
  "analogous": [
    "#A4042F",
    "#A47904"
  ],
  "triadic": [
    "#04A42A",
    "#2A04A4"
  ],
  "tetradic": [
    "#2FA404",
    "#047FA4",
    "#7904A4"
  ],
  "splitComplementary": [
    "#04A479",
    "#042FA4"
  ],
  "monochromatic": [
    "#F9430B",
    "#A42A04",
    "#4B1302"
  ]
}
Variants
{
  "light": "#F9430B",
  "dark": "#4B1302",
  "saturated": "#A82700",
  "desaturated": "#923317",
  "pastel": "#EA663E",
  "neon": "#D13100"
}
Pairings
{
  "best": [
    "#FFFFFF",
    "#047FA4",
    "#A4042F",
    "#A47904"
  ],
  "avoid": [
    "#923317",
    "#F9430B"
  ],
  "neutral": [
    "#1A1A1A",
    "#F5F5F5",
    "#E8E8E4"
  ],
  "highContrast": [
    "#FFFFFF"
  ],
  "lowContrast": [
    "#F9430B",
    "#923317"
  ]
}
Knowledge graph
{
  "nearestColors": [
    "rust",
    "firebrick",
    "mahogany",
    "ruby-red",
    "brown"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "pompeian-red"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "pompeian-red-vs-firebrick",
    "pompeian-red-vs-rust"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/red",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/balanced"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/pompeian-red",
    "/wcag/pompeian-red",
    "/css/colors/pompeian-red",
    "/hex/a42a04",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/red",
      "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
      "/colors/by-tone/balanced"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/pompeian-red"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/rust",
      "/colors/firebrick",
      "/colors/mahogany",
      "/colors/ruby-red",
      "/colors/brown",
      "/compare/pompeian-red-vs-firebrick",
      "/compare/pompeian-red-vs-rust",
      "/harmonies/pompeian-red",
      "/wcag/pompeian-red",
      "/css/colors/pompeian-red",
      "/hex/a42a04",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  }
}
Full JSON dataset 
{
  "slug": "pompeian-red",
  "name": "Pompeian Red",
  "hex": "#A42A04",
  "uses": [
    "historical references",
    "pigment palettes",
    "cultural color systems"
  ],
  "psychology": {
    "associations": [
      "heritage",
      "craft",
      "specificity"
    ],
    "contexts": [
      "museum design",
      "education",
      "editorial research",
      "cultural references"
    ],
    "avoidIn": [
      "generic unlabeled palette systems"
    ]
  },
  "aliases": [],
  "sourceType": "curated",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "reviewStatus": "manual",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/assets/colors.json",
  "origin": {
    "type": "common",
    "notes": "Curated common color reference used in design, material, cultural, and editorial color systems."
  },
  "family": "red",
  "temperature": "warm",
  "tone": [
    "balanced"
  ],
  "editorialNotes": "Curated internal color record with computed technical properties.",
  "tags": [
    "red",
    "warm",
    "balanced",
    "historical-references",
    "pigment-palettes",
    "cultural-color-systems",
    "heritage",
    "craft",
    "specificity"
  ],
  "popularity": 80,
  "rgb": [
    164,
    42,
    4
  ],
  "hsl": [
    14,
    95,
    33
  ],
  "cmyk": [
    0,
    74,
    98,
    36
  ],
  "luminance": 0.0956,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 2.91,
    "white": 7.21
  },
  "harmonies": {
    "complementary": "#047FA4",
    "analogous": [
      "#A4042F",
      "#A47904"
    ],
    "triadic": [
      "#04A42A",
      "#2A04A4"
    ],
    "tetradic": [
      "#2FA404",
      "#047FA4",
      "#7904A4"
    ],
    "splitComplementary": [
      "#04A479",
      "#042FA4"
    ],
    "monochromatic": [
      "#F9430B",
      "#A42A04",
      "#4B1302"
    ]
  },
  "variants": {
    "light": "#F9430B",
    "dark": "#4B1302",
    "saturated": "#A82700",
    "desaturated": "#923317",
    "pastel": "#EA663E",
    "neon": "#D13100"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#F5F5F5"
    ],
    "AAA": [
      "#FFFFFF"
    ]
  },
  "css": {
    "variable": "--color-pompeian-red: #A42A04;",
    "utility": ".bg-pompeian-red { background-color: #A42A04; }",
    "textUtility": ".text-pompeian-red { color: #A42A04; }"
  },
  "nearestColors": [
    "rust",
    "firebrick",
    "mahogany",
    "ruby-red",
    "brown"
  ],
  "generatedPalettes": [
    "pompeian-red"
  ],
  "generatedComparisons": [
    "pompeian-red-vs-firebrick",
    "pompeian-red-vs-rust"
  ],
  "relatedFamilies": [
    "/colors/by-family/red",
    "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
    "/colors/by-tone/balanced"
  ],
  "relatedTools": [
    "/harmonies/pompeian-red",
    "/wcag/pompeian-red",
    "/css/colors/pompeian-red",
    "/hex/a42a04",
    "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
    "/tools/color-palette-generator",
    "/tools/css-color-mixer",
    "/tools/contrast-checker"
  ],
  "semanticRelations": {
    "broader": [
      "/colors/by-family/red",
      "/colors/by-temperature/warm",
      "/colors/by-tone/balanced"
    ],
    "narrower": [
      "/palettes/pompeian-red"
    ],
    "related": [
      "/colors/rust",
      "/colors/firebrick",
      "/colors/mahogany",
      "/colors/ruby-red",
      "/colors/brown",
      "/compare/pompeian-red-vs-firebrick",
      "/compare/pompeian-red-vs-rust",
      "/harmonies/pompeian-red",
      "/wcag/pompeian-red",
      "/css/colors/pompeian-red",
      "/hex/a42a04",
      "/tools/css-gradient-generator",
      "/tools/color-palette-generator",
      "/tools/css-color-mixer",
      "/tools/contrast-checker"
    ]
  },
  "pairings": {
    "best": [
      "#FFFFFF",
      "#047FA4",
      "#A4042F",
      "#A47904"
    ],
    "avoid": [
      "#923317",
      "#F9430B"
    ],
    "neutral": [
      "#1A1A1A",
      "#F5F5F5",
      "#E8E8E4"
    ],
    "highContrast": [
      "#FFFFFF"
    ],
    "lowContrast": [
      "#F9430B",
      "#923317"
    ]
  }
}
Dataset manifest Version 1.0.0 Build hash published in manifest Canonical page

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