red

Uncoated (U)

Pantone 186 U

#C8233C · rgb(200, 35, 60)

HEX

#C8233C

RGB

rgb(200, 35, 60)

CMYK

cmyk(0%, 83%, 70%, 22%)

HSL

hsl(351, 70%, 46%)

LAB

lab(44.0, 62.9, 29.0)

What is Pantone 186 U?

Pantone 186 U is a Uncoated (U) PMS reference in the red family. Its current screen approximation on PantoneTools is #C8233C, rgb(200, 35, 60), and cmyk(0%, 83%, 70%, 22%). Use it when you need a quick Pantone to HEX, Pantone to RGB, or Pantone to CMYK lookup for brand exploration, UI palettes, and print handoff conversations. For accessibility, this page tests Pantone 186 U as a background and currently recommends white text as the safer default before final contrast review. The tints, shades, complementary palette, and developer exports are generated from the same sRGB value so teams can keep web tokens and design notes aligned. These digital values are approximations rather than licensed Pantone specifications; confirm production-critical color with a current physical guide, D50 lighting, and a printer proof.

Workflow context for Pantone 186 U

Red uncoated production notes

Because this is an uncoated-paper reference, use it for absorbent stocks, stationery, uncoated labels, and brand systems where ink will dull or spread compared with coated paper. For glossy packaging or laminated collateral, compare it against the coated companion before approval. Red brand colors often carry high attention and status meaning, but they can become harsh in UI if used as large backgrounds. Validate text contrast and reserve strong reds for controlled actions, alerts, packaging marks, or campaign accents.

Use Pantone 186 U as a digital reference first, then confirm production work against a physical guide or approved proof.
Record the approved uncoated value separately from CMYK, HEX, RGB, and design-token fallbacks.
For UI or web use, pair this color with white text only after checking the actual contrast ratio in context.
When sending to a vendor, include the expected substrate, lighting condition, and approval owner instead of only sending a HEX value.

Use this color with

Brand consistency systemsDocument Pantone, CMYK, HEX, RGB, and tolerance rules together.Accessibility workflowReview whether white text is acceptable for real UI use.Why print colors shiftPlan for substrate, lighting, ink, and press-condition changes.

Data provenance

Curated community sRGB approximations

Hand-curated approximate sRGB visual equivalents for screen preview and matching workflows. This is not an official Pantone licensed value source. Use for educational lookup, digital previews, nearest-color matching, accessibility checks, and workflow planning. Confirm production color against physical guides, licensed values, or printer proofs.

Source type: community-reference
Confidence: low
Last reviewed: 2026-05-23

Scale metadata

These fields are used by the scale audit before any larger color-directory expansion. They are intentionally conservative because current values are approximate screen references.

red

uncoated

screen-reference

pantone-approximation

proof-required

High-chroma reds can shift between spot ink, CMYK fallback, and screen preview. Treat the digital value as a planning reference and proof brand-critical print.

Tints, Shades & Scale

A balanced 11-step scale derived from Pantone 186 U for design system use.

Complementary Palette

Quick palette of tint, base, shade, and complement for layout exploration.

#DE7B8A

#C8233C

#781524

#37DCC3

Accessibility

WCAG 2.1 contrast checks for Pantone 186 U as a background.

Black text on this color

Sample text · 3.76 : 1

AA Normal

AA Large

AAA Normal

AAA Large

White text on this color

Sample text · 5.58 : 1

AA Normal

AA Large

AAA Normal

AAA Large

Similar Pantone Colors

Top 6 ΔE2000-closest Pantones to Pantone 186 U (same finish).

Copied #D9381E

Pantone 485 U · ΔE 12.09

#D9381E

Copied #EF4135

Pantone Red 032 U · ΔE 13.09

#EF4135

Copied #FF6A13

Pantone Orange 021 U · ΔE 27.35

#FF6A13

Copied #3B3835

Pantone Black U · ΔE 31.59

#3B3835

Copied #1F3A93

Pantone 286 U · ΔE 40.37

#1F3A93

Copied #008EC9

Pantone Process Blue U · ΔE 54.25

#008EC9

Similar RAL Colors

Top 6 ΔE2000-closest RAL Classic references to Pantone 186 U. RAL approximations are not interchangeable with Pantone spot colors; use as a cross-reference for industrial coatings and powder coat workflows.

Copied #C51D34

RAL 3027

#C51D34

Raspberry red

Copied #CB3234

RAL 3028

#CB3234

Pure red

Copied #B32428

RAL 3031

#B32428

Orient red

Copied #D53032

RAL 3018

#D53032

Strawberry red

Copied #E63244

RAL 3017

#E63244

Rose

Copied #B32821

RAL 3016

#B32821

Coral red

Developer Exports

CSS Variables

:root {
  --p-186-u: #C8233C;
  --p-186-u-rgb: 200 35 60;
  --p-186-u-hsl: 351 70% 46%;
}

Tailwind Scale

// tailwind.config.ts
export default {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        p-186-u: {
          DEFAULT: "#C8233C",
          50: "#FBEDEF",
          100: "#F6DCE0",
          200: "#EDB9C1",
          300: "#E4919E",
          400: "#D65A6D",
          500: "#C8233C",
          600: "#AA1E33",
          700: "#821727",
          800: "#5A101B",
          900: "#32090F",
          950: "#180407",
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

Design Token JSON

{
  "name": "Pantone 186 U",
  "hex": "#C8233C",
  "rgb": {
    "r": 200,
    "g": 35,
    "b": 60
  },
  "cmyk": {
    "c": 0,
    "m": 83,
    "y": 70,
    "k": 22
  },
  "hsl": {
    "h": 351,
    "s": 70,
    "l": 46
  },
  "lab": {
    "l": 43.96,
    "a": 62.92,
    "b": 28.96
  },
  "pantone": {
    "code": "Pantone 186 U",
    "finish": "uncoated",
    "family": "red"
  }
}

Convert Pantone 186 U

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