What Colors Make Red?
Red is a primary colour in paint — it cannot be mixed from other colours. In printing (CMYK) it is made from magenta and yellow.
Red is a primary color in paint. It cannot be created by mixing other pigments — it has to come from a tube or a dye. The recipes below are the closest approximations, or the way red is produced in other color models.
Magenta + Yellow = Red
Magenta
1 part
Yellow
1 part
Red
In the CMYK model used for printing, magenta plus yellow produces red. This is the only true way to "make" red by mixing.
Adjusting your red
To lighten: Add white for pink, coral and salmon.
To darken: Add a little black or a touch of blue for maroon, wine and burgundy.
To mute or soften: Add a touch of green (its complement) for brick and barn red.
Mixing paint vs. mixing light
The recipes above describe subtractive mixing — how paint, ink and pigment behave. Each pigment absorbs part of the spectrum, so the more you add, the darker the mixture gets.
Screens work the opposite way, using additive mixing with red, green and blue light: the more you add, the brighter it gets. With light (RGB), red is a primary — screens emit it directly, e.g. #D6212B.
Frequently asked about making red
What colors make red?
Red is a primary colour in paint — it cannot be mixed from other colours. In printing (CMYK) it is made from magenta and yellow.
What two colors make red?
Magenta + Yellow makes red. In the CMYK model used for printing, magenta plus yellow produces red. This is the only true way to "make" red by mixing.
How do you make red lighter or darker?
Add white for pink, coral and salmon. Add a little black or a touch of blue for maroon, wine and burgundy.
Is mixing red paint the same as mixing red light?
No. Paint mixes subtractively while light mixes additively. With light (RGB), red is a primary — screens emit it directly, e.g. #D6212B.