Cadet Blue vs Dusty Red — Difference, Contrast & Harmony

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Cadet Bluenearest vs Dusty Rednearest

#2D9C90 · #BB6F81

Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 2/100 (fail) · Harmony 99/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 93/100 (easy to tell apart) · Match 0/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.

Readability2Fail

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Fail1.1:1

Harmony99Complementary

Complementary

172° apart

Distinguishable93Easy to tell apart

normal

protanopia

ΔE 66 (52 under CVD)

Match0Different

ΔE 66 — different

How different are Cadet Blue and Dusty Red?

Cadet Blue and Dusty Red are very different (ΔE 66). They have near-opposite hues (172° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.

Can you read one on the other?

Cadet Blue text on Dusty Red: 1.10:1 (Fail); Dusty Red text on Cadet Blue: 1.10:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #002320 clears it.

Common questions

Do Cadet Blue and Dusty Red go well together?

Complementary — complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 99/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.

Is Cadet Blue readable as text on Dusty Red?

Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.1:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #002320 clears AA.

What is the colour difference (ΔE) between Cadet Blue and Dusty Red?

Their CIE76 ΔE is about 66 — very different.

Are Cadet Blue and Dusty Red the same colour?

clearly different colours (ΔE 66).

Related comparisons

Explore each color: Cadet Blue #2D9C90 · Dusty Red #BB6F81 · Shades: Cadet Blue shades · Dusty Red shades · Contrast checker →

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