Cinnabar color

Cinnabar Color: Everthing You Need to Know

Anupam Tiwari
By Anupam Tiwari | July 12, 2024 7:43 am

Cinnabar color is a rich, vibrant red hue used for centuries in art and decoration. The name cinnabar originates from the mineral cinnabar crystal, historically ground to produce a striking red pigment. This pigment has been used in various cultures for its intense color and unique properties. Interestingly, the rise of AI design tools has further helped designers innovatively use this color for diverse design projects.

In this blog, you will learn about the origin of the cinnabar color, its hex code, and how it fits into different color palettes. We will also explore complementary shades and the psychological impact of cinnabar. So, let’s start with the basics!

Table of Contents

What Color is Cinnabar?

Cinnabar color is a rich shade of red with a hint of orange. It draws its name from the mineral cinnabar, a brilliant crystal that occurs naturally and has attracted humans for centuries. This unique color is well-known for its warmth and energy. It is associated with passion, vitality, and creativity.

The Cinnabar color leans towards the warmer end of the red spectrum, setting it apart from cooler reds like scarlet or crimson color. Its hint of orange gives it a unique, almost glowing quality, making it a popular choice for adding a touch of warmth and energy to designs. You can use our Color Wheel to pick up the accurate tones and sashes of this color easily for all kinds of design projects in no time.

History of Cinnabar Color

Cinnabar is more than just a red-orange shade; it's a fascinating mineral with a long and colorful history. Cinnabar crystals, known for their vibrant red hue, have been prized for millennia. Archaeological evidence suggests its use as a pigment dates back as early as the Yangshao culture in China, around 5000 BC. 

Across civilizations, cinnabar wasn't just visually striking; it held symbolic meaning. Egyptians associated it with the god Ra, while the Romans used it in religious ceremonies. But cinnabar's most significant historical role was as a source of mercury. Cinnabar ore, mined and processed, yielded the element that revolutionized everything from medicine to metalworking.

What Colors Make Cinnabar?

Cinnabar's red-orange hue might seem like a unique color, but it's actually created by combining other colors. Designers and artists use two main systems to define colors: RGB and CMYK.

  • RGB (Red, Green, Blue): This system focuses on the combination of colored lights. To achieve cinnabar in RGB, you'd mix a high amount of red light with a smaller amount of green light and an even smaller amount of blue light. The specific ratio is 89% red, 25.9% green, and 20.4% blue.
  • CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key Black): This system is used for printing colors, where inks are layered on top of each other. To create cinnabar color with CMYK, you wouldn't use any cyan at all (0% cyan). Instead, you'd combine a high amount of magenta color (71% magenta) with a significant amount of yellow color (77% yellow), and a small amount of black color (11% black) for depth.

Cinnabar Color Hex Code

Cinnabar's hex code is #E34234. The first two letters (#E3) represent the amount of red, the next two (#42) represent green, and the last two (#34) represent blue. By entering this code into your design software, you can ensure your digital creation uses the exact fiery red-orange shade of cinnabar.

Cinnabar Color Palette

Color Hex Code
Cinnabar #E34234
Red-orange #FF5349
Scarlet #FF2400
Red #FF0000
Orange #FFA500
Brown #964B00

Did you get curious to experiment with these color combinations yourself? Our Color Mixer tool is a fun and interactive way to explore how different colors work together. You can easily mix two to four colors to see how you can create variations of cinnabar.

Similar Colors to Cinnabar

The Cinnabar color has a unique place in the color spectrum, and understanding its similar colors can help create harmonious color schemes. Let us have a look at the colors that share a close relationship with Cinnabar:

  • Red-Orange Color: This color sits adjacent to Cinnabar on the color wheel, combining the warmth and energy of red with the vibrant, playful nature of orange.
  • Scarlet Color: A vibrant and bright red, scarlet leans towards the cooler end of the spectrum, offering a slightly bluish tone compared to the warmer Cinnabar.
  • Red Color: As the primary color from which Cinnabar is derived, red shares its bold and passionate nature but without the additional orange tone.
  • Orange Color: This secondary color is created by combining red and yellow, offering a vibrant and cheerful tone that is similar to Cinnabar but with a distinct, brighter character.
  • Brown Color: While brown is a darker and more subdued shade, it shares a connection with Cinnabar through its warm and earthy tone.

Complementary Colors to Cinnabar

Complementary colors are those located opposite each other on the color wheel, and for Cinnabar, these colors offer a range of vibrant and contrasting color schemes:

  • Blue-Green Color: This color, also known as cyan, sits directly opposite Cinnabar on the color wheel, providing a cool and calming contrast to the warm and vibrant Cinnabar.
  • Teal Color: A darker shade of cyan, teal offers a more subdued but still contrasting effect when paired with Cinnabar.
  • Blue Color: The primary blue color provides a strong and classic contrast, with the warm Cinnabar creating a vibrant and energetic combination.
  • Indigo Color: A deeper and more mysterious shade of blue, indigo adds a sophisticated twist and offers a unique and intriguing contrast to the warm Cinnabar.

Our Image Color Picker tool can help you find similar shades of cinnabar from any picture you have. This tool enables you to pick a specific color from an image so that you can replicate the exact hue in your design projects. This can be particularly useful when you want to match cinnabar tones from natural scenes, artworks, or any visual reference you find inspiring.

Cinnabar Color Psychology

Cinnabar color is a deep red that has been associated with power, vitality, and energy. In color psychology, red tones like cinnabar evoke strong emotions and grab attention. This makes cinnabar an excellent choice for designs that need to stand out or convey a sense of urgency or importance.

Cinnabar also has historical significance, often used in art and decoration for its bold appearance. In color theory, it is a versatile shade that can be paired with various other colors to create dynamic and striking palettes. Whether you are designing a website, a logo, or any visual project, cinnabar can add a touch of vibrancy and intensity.

Conclusion

The Cinnabar color offers a vibrant palette for designers and creatives, enabling them to add warmth and energy to any project. From its origins in the namesake mineral to its distinct place in the color spectrum, Cinnabar has a fascinating story to tell. With its Hex code and CMYK breakdowns, you can now accurately utilize this color in digital and print applications to create amazing visual compositions.

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