Scarlet vs Tomato

Scarlet and Tomato are both reds, but they are not the same color: the measured difference between their classic values is ΔE 3.7, close: they read as matching at a glance.

Scarlet

RGB: 255, 36, 0
HSL: 8, 100%, 50%
OKLCH: 63.8% 0.248 31.0

Temperature: warm

Closest encyclopedia entry: Scarlet

Tomato

RGB: 239, 64, 38
HSL: 8, 86%, 54%
OKLCH: 63.0% 0.215 31.5

Temperature: warm

Closest encyclopedia entry: Tomato

Measured difference: ΔE 3.7 · close: they read as matching at a glance. ΔE is a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart.

Guide

How to tell Scarlet and Tomato apart

1 Scarlet carries more chroma, so it reads more saturated. Tomato looks grayer in direct comparison.
2 Check them against a true neutral gray: subtle undertones surface immediately next to something with no undertone at all.

Guide

When to use which

Scarlet is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Tomato is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Palettes

Their palettes, side by side

Scarlet complementary palette

Tomato complementary palette

Scarlet analogous palette

Tomato analogous palette

FAQ

FAQs

Are Scarlet and Tomato the same color?

No. Using their classic reference values, they differ by ΔE 3.7 (a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart). That makes them close: they read as matching at a glance.

Which is darker, Scarlet or Tomato?

Tomato is darker: 1 points lower in OKLCH lightness than Scarlet.