Red can be traced back to humanity's earliest known artwork when ochre pigments were used in prehistoric cave paintings. It continues to have a powerful presence throughout civilization, but its meaning changes across cultural contexts. As the color of both blood and fire, red holds an integral connection to life. Ancient cultures saw it as a symbol of courage, with Roman generals painting their bodies red to celebrate victories. In Western culture red is a color of love, while Asian cultures regard it as a color of joy and good fortune. Religious traditions associate red with vitality and sacrifice, and modern societies use red as a marker for danger or importance.
Digital designers can specify pure red using the hexadecimal code #FF0000, which represents maximum red value with zero green and blue components. In RGB color space, red appears at values R:255, G:0, B:0, making it one of the primary additive colors used in digital displays. Print designers work with CMYK values of C:0%, M:100%, Y:100%, K:0% to achieve vibrant red tones. Red's wavelength ranges from approximately 620-750 nanometers on the visible light spectrum, making it the longest wavelength of visible light. Professional color matching systems like Pantone offer standardized red variations, ensuring consistency across different production methods and materials.
Other related colors to red: