Discover the power of scarlet

The color scarlet has commanded respect as a symbol of power and wealth throughout history. During the Middle Ages, scarlet garments were reserved for the elite, as only nobles and rich merchants could afford clothes made with such expensive dye. In Christian tradition, the color has a striking duality as a symbol of both Christ’s sacrifice, and of human sin. Modern science has found that scarlet and other bright shades of red raise heart rate and blood pressure—a visceral reaction that helps explain why it became the color of passion and love. Today, designers frequently use scarlet as an accent color to create focal points and call-to-action elements, while fashion and interior designers harness its eye-catching nature for statement pieces.

Pure scarlet is represented in digital design with the hex code #FF2400. The RGB values (R: 255, G: 36, B: 0) highlight the dominance of red in the color’s makeup. Professional designers working with print materials use CMYK values of C: 0%, M: 86%, Y: 100%, K: 0% to achieve scarlet’s orange-red hue. This combination—the full saturation of yellow alongside high magenta, with no cyan or black—produces scarlet's distinctive warmth and intensity on paper.