Red (Munsell)
The most vivid red in the Munsell colour system's sRGB range
Red (Munsell) is the brightest and most colourful red defined in the Munsell colour system, matched to the 5R hue. It is set apart by its high chroma and is mapped to #F2003C in sRGB. The Munsell system spaces colours by how people see them, using five main hues.
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- Mapped to sRGB hex #F2003C
- Represents the 5R hue in Munsell's system
- Chosen for maximum chroma in sRGB
- One of five main hues in Munsell's colour wheel
What colour is Red (Munsell)?
Red (Munsell) is a highly vivid, pure red as defined in the Munsell colour system. It stands out for its strong chroma, meaning it is as colourful and intense as possible within the sRGB digital colour range. This red is mapped to the 5R hue, which is one of the five main hues chosen by the Munsell system to space colours evenly based on human vision.
Where does Red (Munsell) come from?
The Munsell colour system was developed to organise colours by three qualities: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (colourfulness). Red (Munsell) is based on the 5R hue, one of the five primary hues selected for their even spacing in how people see colour. The system aims to make colour differences appear uniform to the eye.
How Red (Munsell) is defined
Red (Munsell) is not a pigment or dye, but a standard digital colour. It is defined by its position in the Munsell system and is mapped to the sRGB value #F2003C. The colour is set by its hue (5R), maximum chroma, and value within the system.
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 Red (Munsell)
Red (Munsell) is one of several reds defined in colour systems. It is more chromatic than many other standard reds, such as those used in printing or web design. Other reds in the Munsell system have different values or chroma, but 5R at maximum chroma is the most vivid.
Colours that go with Red (Munsell)
Harmonies are worked out from the value #F2003C. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Red (Munsell)
What colour is Red (Munsell)?
Red (Munsell) is a very bright, pure red with high colourfulness, set at the 5R hue in the Munsell system and matched to sRGB #F2003C.
Where does the name Red (Munsell) come from?
The name comes from the Munsell colour system, which organises colours by hue, value, and chroma. 5R is the system's primary red hue.
How is Red (Munsell) defined?
It is defined by its position in the Munsell colour space: the 5R hue at maximum chroma, and is mapped to a digital sRGB value.
Is Red (Munsell) a pigment or a digital colour?
Red (Munsell) is a standard digital colour, not a pigment or dye. It is specified for use in colour systems and digital displays.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shades of red" (the section "Red (Munsell)"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. 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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