Blood red
A deep, dark red inspired by the colour of human blood
Blood red is a very dark red shade that takes its cue from the appearance of human blood. Its tone can shift from a rich crimson to a brownish or rust-like red, depending on how much oxygen is present. The colour is deeper than maroon or dark red and is often used to evoke the look of fresh or dried blood.
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- Blood red is darker than maroon or dark red.
- The colour mimics both fresh and dried human blood.
- In RGB, blood red uses only the red channel.
- Dried blood appears rustier and darker than fresh blood.
What colour is Blood red?
Blood red sits among the darkest reds, echoing the colour seen in human blood. Its appearance can shift: freshly oxygenated blood is a vivid, bright red, while blood low in oxygen appears much deeper and almost brownish. When blood dries, it takes on a rusty, even darker tone. Blood red is often described as deeper and less bright than maroon or other dark reds.
Where does Blood red come from?
The name 'blood red' comes directly from the colour of human blood, which owes its red appearance to iron in the protein haemoglobin. The shade covers the full range of blood's natural colours, from the bright red of oxygen-rich blood in arteries to the almost blackish red of blood low in oxygen found in veins. Dried blood looks darker still, often with a rusty tint.
How Blood red is defined
In digital colour systems, blood red is created using only the red channel in RGB, with no green or blue. In print, it is mixed from magenta and yellow with a touch of black, and no cyan. There is no single formula, as the colour is meant to match the natural look of blood rather than a fixed pigment.
Red around the world
What the red family means from country to country.
The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colours: a red bar at the hoist with green, white and black bands. It was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Al Maainah, in 1971.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe flag is a black double-headed eagle on red, the banner of the fifteenth-century hero Skanderbeg. Fans chant Kuq e Zi, red and black.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of AlbaniaArmenian scribes painted manuscripts with vordan karmir, a crimson dye made from an insect that lives on the roots of grasses in the Ararat plain.
Sacred and holySource: Armenian cochinealUnder Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, everyone had to wear a scarlet ribbon to show loyalty to his Federalist party. His enemies, the Unitarians, were tied to sky blue.
Politics and protestFearSource: Juan Manuel de RosasThe flag is red, white and red. Legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was soaked in blood at the siege of Acre, all but the band under his belt.
Politics and protestCourageSource: Flag of AustriaRed ochre is used in Aboriginal rock art and ceremony, and is traded over long distances. In the Aboriginal flag the red half stands for the earth and for that ochre.
Sacred and holyNature and renewalAweSource: Australian Aboriginal flagShades and relatives of Blood red
Blood red is sometimes confused with maroon or dark red, but it is usually even deeper. The shade can vary depending on the source, with some versions leaning more brown or orange. Oxblood is a related colour, and theatrical blood can be made in many shades, not all of which match real blood.
Colours that go with Blood red
Harmonies are worked out from the value #660000. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Blood red
What colour is blood red?
Blood red is a very dark shade of red, sometimes with brown or rust tones, inspired by the colour of human blood in different states.
Where does the name 'blood red' come from?
The name comes from the natural colour of human blood, which can range from bright red when rich in oxygen to a darker, almost brownish red when it has less oxygen.
How is blood red made in digital and print colours?
On screens, blood red is shown using only the red channel in RGB. In print, it is mixed from magenta and yellow with a little black, and no cyan.
Is blood red the same as maroon?
No, blood red is generally darker than maroon and is meant to look like real blood, which can appear deeper or rustier depending on its state.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Blood red", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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