Punchy Red Cascade
Punchy Red Cascade: a vivid complementary palette of #047A8E, #1988AD, #F85230, #F89260, #49D3FC. Lively, bold and full of contrast; best contrast 2.87:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on teal, blue, red, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.87:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Bermuda#047A8E
A medium, moderately saturated teal (Bermuda) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Corfu Waters#1988AD
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Corfu Waters) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Fuego#F85230
A medium, vivid red (Fuego) that brings warmth and energy. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Papaya#F89260
A light, moderately saturated orange (Papaya) that brings friendly optimism. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Neon Blue#49D3FC
A light, moderately saturated blue (Neon Blue) that brings trust and steadiness. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white5.02:1Good 3/5
- On black12.00:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly86% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Teal | Text | #047A8E | 53% |
| ≈ Teal | Accent | #1988AD | 59% |
| ≈ Red | Primary | #F85230 | 66% |
| ≈ Coral | Surface | #F89260 | 76% |
| ≈ Sky | Background | #49D3FC | 81% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #001F26 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #49d3fc;
--color-surface: #f89260;
--color-primary: #f85230;
--color-accent: #1988ad;
--color-text: #001f26;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #49d3fc;
--color-surface: #f89260;
--color-primary: #f85230;
--color-accent: #1988ad;
--color-ink: #001f26;
}
About this palette
Punchy Red Cascade is palette number 12,281 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a vivid palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Red (#F85230), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as lively, bold and full of contrast. Its colors run from Sky (#49D3FC) at the light end to Teal (#047A8E) at the dark end, covering 53% to 81% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Teal #047A8E: suggested role text. It is a cyan color with 53% lightness and a chroma of 0.093.
2. ≈ Teal #1988AD: suggested role accent. It is a cyan color with 59% lightness and a chroma of 0.107.
3. ≈ Red #F85230: suggested role primary. It is a red color with 66% lightness and a chroma of 0.208, which makes it clearly saturated.
4. ≈ Coral #F89260: suggested role surface. It is a orange color with 76% lightness and a chroma of 0.14.
5. ≈ Sky #49D3FC: suggested role background. It is a cyan color with 81% lightness and a chroma of 0.129.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the cyan, red and orange families, spread across 194 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Vivid palettes keep chroma between 0.15 and 0.26, and lightness between 52% and 82%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-balanced: 2 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.135 makes the saturation rich.
That combination suits app and product marketing, event posters and social media graphics, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel lively, bold and full of contrast.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Teal (#047A8E) with Sky (#49D3FC) at a contrast ratio of 2.87:1, which is below the WCAG AA minimum of 4.5:1. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 0 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#49D3FC), so this page suggests #001F26 for text, a darkened Teal that reaches 9.80:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
All five colors stay distinguishable under protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia simulations, which is a good sign, although it is no substitute for testing with real users.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #49D3FC as the background, #F89260 for cards and surfaces, #F85230 as the primary brand color, #1988AD as the accent, and #001F26 for text (a computed darker shade of Teal, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
Typical uses for a vivid palette include app and product marketing, event posters, social media graphics and entertainment brands. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Punchy Red Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.87:1 (#047A8E on #49D3FC). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Red (#F85230) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits app and product marketing, event posters, social media graphics and entertainment brands, where a lively, bold and full of contrast feel works well.