#00444A · #5A2B28
Four independent scores (read the one that fits your goal): Readability 1/100 (fail) · Harmony 100/100 (complementary) · Distinguishable 86/100 (easy to tell apart) · Match 5/100 (different). There is no single “good/bad” — a pair can clash for text yet be great for an outfit.
Charcoal and Dark Dusty Red are very different (ΔE 43). They have near-opposite hues (179° apart) and their lightness is similar, so they read as two same-weight colours.
Charcoal text on Dark Dusty Red: 1.06:1 (Fail); Dark Dusty Red text on Charcoal: 1.06:1 (Fail). Neither meets AA at body size — nudging one color to #71ABB1 clears it.
Complementary — complementary — a recognised, balanced pairing (harmony 100/100). This is about how they look together (clothing, interiors, branding), independent of text contrast.
Not at body size — the best direction is only 1.1:1, below the 4.5:1 minimum. Nudging one colour to #71ABB1 clears AA.
Their CIE76 ΔE is about 43 — very different.
clearly different colours (ΔE 43).
Explore each color: Charcoal #00444A · Dark Dusty Red #5A2B28 · Shades: Charcoal shades · Dark Dusty Red shades · Contrast checker →