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Cardinal SW 2908
On-screen approximation from the published RGB value. Order a physical sample before you decide.
Undertone: Saturated red (a color, not a neutral)
In CIELAB, Cardinal sits at L* 33.2, a* 53.9, b* 33.7. Its hue angle is 32° and its chroma is 63.6, so it reads as an outright red rather than a neutral. It classifies as warm. Among Sherwin-Williams colors with a similar LRV (±5), it is warmer (more yellow) than 92%.
LRV 0.0: very dark
Light Reflectance Value runs from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (perfect white). At 0.0, Cardinal is lighter than 0% of Sherwin-Williams colors. Near-black depth. Use on doors, trim, cabinetry, exteriors or moody rooms with strong artificial lighting.
Closest Benjamin Moore match to Cardinal
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Red | HC-181 | 1.88 | Very close | |
| Caliente | AF-290 | 4.74 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Flamenco | CSP-1195 | 5.24 | Similar, clearly different |
Closest Behr match to Cardinal
Ranked by CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE) computed from published RGB values. Below 2 is hard to tell apart on the wall; above 4 is a different color. Behr does not publish LRV, so Behr values here are estimates.
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijou Red | UL110-16 | 7.60 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Fire Cracker | PPU2-16 | 7.76 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Indiscreet | UL110-6 | 7.94 | Similar, clearly different |
Similar Sherwin-Williams colors
| Color | Code | ΔE2000 | How close | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classy Red | SW 2913 | 2.55 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Redwing | SW 2909 | 3.19 | Close — difference visible side by side | |
| Scarlet | SW 2907 | 4.64 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Poppy Flower | SW 2904 | 4.83 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Heartthrob | SW 6866 | 5.52 | Similar, clearly different | |
| Pompeii Red | SW 2911 | 5.61 | Similar, clearly different |
Lighter and darker versions
Colors from Sherwin-Williams with nearly the same hue and saturation, one step lighter or darker.
- Scarlet SW 2907 · lighter, LRV 0.0
- Show Stopper SW 7588 · lighter, LRV 10.2
- Heartthrob SW 6866 · lighter, LRV 10.6
- Redwing SW 2909 · darker, LRV 0.0
- Pompeii Red SW 2911 · darker, LRV 0.0
- Poppy Flower SW 2904 · darker, LRV 0.0
Colors that go with Cardinal
Sherwin-Williams's own coordinating colors for Cardinal:
- Passive SW 7064
- Tin Lizzie SW 9163
Color-theory pairings — the nearest Sherwin-Williams color to each rotated hue, keeping the same lightness and saturation:
- Really Teal SW 6489 · complementary (180°)
- Cerise SW 6580 · analogous (−30°)
- Sturdy Brown SW 6097 · analogous (+30°)
- Greens SW 6748 · triadic (120°)
- Hyper Blue SW 6965 · triadic (240°)
Cardinal vs popular colors
- Heritage Red (Benjamin Moore HC-181, ΔE 1.9) is lighter (LRV 10.3 vs 0.0), more yellow/warm.
- Caliente (Benjamin Moore AF-290, ΔE 4.7) is lighter (LRV 8.8 vs 0.0), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.
- Redwood (Benjamin Moore ES-20, ΔE 10.4) is lighter (LRV 8.9 vs 0.0), more blue/cool, more green, more muted.