What colors are in the "Red & Yellow +2" palette?

Red & Yellow +2 contains 4 colors: Red (#a72144), Yellow (#fff200), Diamine Green (#1a7444), Slate Color (#34454c). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Red & Yellow +2" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada documented historical Japanese color combinations from the showa era and earlier periods. The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Red & Yellow +2" palette belong to?

Red & Yellow +2 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 251 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Red, Yellow, Diamine Green, Slate Color.

Can I use the "Red & Yellow +2" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Red & Yellow +2 — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 251 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 4-colour grouping of Red, Yellow, Diamine Green, Slate Color, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 251 of Wada's 348 anchors Red, Yellow, Diamine Green and Slate Color in the red family — a 4-colour grouping with a refined, warm, bold character, recorded in the Showa-era volumes of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, where these shikisai names have sat in the public domain for generations. Its strongest pairing — Yellow on Slate Color — reaches a contrast ratio of 8.54:1, clearing the WCAG AAA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.

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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: refined, warm, bold
Colors: 4

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Yellow on Slate Color — 8.54:1 (AAA)

Red·Yellow6.10:1AA
Red·Diamine Green1.23:1Fail
Red·Slate Color1.40:1Fail
Yellow·Diamine Green4.95:1AA
Yellow·Slate Color8.54:1AAA
Diamine Green·Slate Color1.73:1Fail

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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Preview

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Related combinations

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Red & Yellow +2

About this combination

Historical context

Embed this palette

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Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Red Orange & Pale Lemon Yellow +2

Eosine Pink & Burnt Sienna +2

Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2