Shades of Burgundy

What this tool does

Burgundy is the grown-up red. It is a deep, dark red with a touch of purple in it, the colour of a glass of red wine, and it reads as rich and sophisticated where plain red reads as loud. Because it is already deep, building its range by eye is awkward, you need a lighter burgundy for surfaces and a darker one for contrast without losing that wine-like warmth.

That is what this does. You give it a burgundy, and it builds the whole run of that colour in even steps, each with its HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSV codes ready to copy. Below the tool there is a reference of the named wine reds and the region that gave burgundy its name.

How to use it

1. Set your burgundy. When the page opens it shows a burgundy and its Hex. Swap in your own through Change Color or the Color Picker, or type a hex straight in.
2. Pick how many shades. The Color Shades number sets the total, starting at ten. More steps give a finer gradient between light and deep.
3. Grab the codes. HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSV sit beside every shade, so you take the format that fits your project.

Burgundy carries a little blue, which is what gives it that purple, wine-like undertone. Start from a burgundy you like and the whole range keeps that character as it lightens and darkens.

How it works

The tool runs on TinyColor, a colour library that computes the lighter and darker versions of a colour cleanly. It takes your burgundy, walks it toward white on one side and black on the other, spaces the steps evenly, and writes each one out in the four code formats.

Because burgundy is deep and a touch purple, its lighter steps soften into dusty rose and mauve-pink tones, while the darker steps deepen toward an almost-black wine. That gives a single burgundy a surprisingly elegant range to build a palette from.

The colour named after a wine

Burgundy is named after wine, specifically the deep red wines of the Burgundy region in eastern France, an area whose Pinot Noir has been famous for centuries. The region itself takes its name from the Burgundians, a Germanic tribe who settled there long ago. The colour name is much younger than the wine, first recorded in English around 1881.

That wine origin explains everything about how burgundy feels. The slight purple in it is the colour of red wine in the glass, and the associations come straight from the bottle: richness, depth, maturity, and a certain quiet luxury. It is why burgundy turns up on wine labels, in autumn fashion, and across high-end branding whenever a design wants to suggest good taste rather than shout for attention.

The named wine reds, with hex codes

Burgundy belongs to a small family of wine-inspired reds, each a little different. Here are the common ones, with a hex for each.

• Burgundy (#800020): a deep red with a clear purple undertone, the classic wine red.
• Bordeaux (#5C0120): darker and more purple, named after the other great French wine region.
• Claret (#7F1734): a slightly softer, duskier wine red.
• Cabernet (#4C1C24): a deep, muted red-brown, like the grape.
• Oxblood (#4A0000): a very dark, blackened red at the deepest end.

The thing to know is that burgundy is not a standard web colour, so its value shifts a little from chart to chart, and it sits right next to several near neighbours. If you mean a specific wine red, pick a hex and build from it rather than trusting the name alone.

Where burgundy works

Burgundy is the colour of understated luxury. The purple in it gives plain red a depth and seriousness that reads as sophisticated, ambitious, and expensive, which is why it is a favourite for premium branding, formalwear, weddings, and rich, warm interiors. It also leans strongly autumnal, so it suits anything that wants a cosy, seasonal, grown-up feel.

Where red can feel urgent, burgundy feels considered, which makes it far easier to use across large areas. A deep burgundy works beautifully as a main brand colour or a background, with the lighter steps from this tool giving you softer surfaces and the darker steps giving you contrast, all in the same refined family.

Building a palette from your burgundy

Burgundy loves a touch of shine and a calm backdrop. Its standout partner is gold, the deep red-and-gold of luxury, which makes a palette feel instantly rich. Greys, from soft to charcoal, sit elegantly beside it, and cream keeps it warm and classic.

To build a working set, use the steps from this tool as the spine: a deep burgundy for text and headers, your main burgundy for blocks and buttons, and a dusty, pale burgundy surface behind content. Then add one accent, gold for luxury, navy for a sharp contrast, or a forest green for something more natural and seasonal. Keep the accents restrained so the burgundy keeps its quiet, refined mood.

Questions people ask

What colour is burgundy?

A deep, dark red with a purple undertone, named after red wine. That hint of purple is what separates it from a plain dark red and gives it its rich, wine-like character.

What is the hex code for burgundy?

A commonly used value is #800020, though burgundy is not a standard web colour, so charts differ slightly. For an exact match, use a specific hex.

What is the difference between burgundy and maroon?

Burgundy has a purple undertone and reads as wine-like and regal. Maroon has a brown undertone and reads as earthier and warmer. Burgundy leans toward the purple family, maroon toward the brown family.

Can I use my own burgundy?

Yes. Paste your exact burgundy in as the base, and the tool builds the lighter and darker steps of that colour, so you get a matching set for surfaces, text, and accents.

References

1. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), CSS Color Module Level 4. https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-4/
2. TinyColor (Brian Grinstead). Documentation. https://github.com/bgrins/TinyColor
3. Burgundy (color), the wine region and the colour named after it. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy_(color)