Coral vs Salmon
Can you tell them apart?
#FF7F50
#FA8072
Perceptual difference (ΔE): 18.4 — clearly different.
Coral and salmon are both orange-pinks named after living things and they're genuinely close — close enough to have been used interchangeably in interior design for decades. Coral is named after the vibrant marine animal skeleton colour, and it sits further into orange territory with more intensity and warmth. Salmon, named after the fish's flesh, is a softer pinkish-orange that carries more pink and less orange, and generally reads as gentler and more muted. Put them side by side and coral is the one that pops with energy; salmon is the one that whispers.
How to tell them apart
Coral is more orange and more saturated; salmon is pinkier and softer. If it looks like the outside of a tropical fish or a Mexican bowl, it's coral; if it looks like sushi or a soft blush backdrop, it's salmon.
Color values
| HEX | #FF7F50 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 255, 127, 80 |
| HSL | 16°, 100%, 66% |
| CMYK | 0, 50, 69, 0 |
| HEX | #FA8072 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 250, 128, 114 |
| HSL | 6°, 93%, 71% |
| CMYK | 0, 49, 54, 2 |
FAQ
- Is coral the same as salmon?
- No. Both are orange-pinks, but coral has more orange intensity while salmon is pinker and more muted.
- Where does the colour name 'coral' come from?
- From the hard calcium-carbonate skeletons of coral reef organisms, which range from pale pink to vivid orange-red. The colour 'coral' specifically references the intense orange-pink of tropical shallow-water species — hence its distinctly more orange character compared to the softer, flesh-toned salmon.