Color Contrast Checker Tool
Our free online Color Contrast Checker helps you ensure that your text and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast for all users, including those with visual impairments. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) require specific contrast ratios for text to be readable, and this tool allows you to test your color combinations against these standards instantly.
Simply select your foreground (text) and background colors using the color pickers, HEX codes, or the built-in color palette. Our tool will automatically calculate the contrast ratio and tell you whether it meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA and AAA requirements for both normal and large text. You'll get immediate visual feedback and practical recommendations to improve accessibility.
Understanding Color Contrast and Accessibility
Why Color Contrast Matters
- Ensures text is readable for all users, including those with low vision or color blindness
- Improves usability in challenging lighting conditions (bright sunlight, dark rooms)
- Makes content accessible across different devices and screen qualities
- Reduces eye strain during extended reading periods
- Helps users with temporary or situational disabilities
- Required for legal compliance in many jurisdictions
WCAG Contrast Requirements
- Level AA (minimum compliance):
- Normal text: at least 4.5:1 ratio
- Large text: at least 3:1 ratio
- Level AAA (enhanced compliance):
- Normal text: at least 7:1 ratio
- Large text: at least 4.5:1 ratio
- UI Components and Graphics: 3:1 minimum contrast against adjacent colors
Text Size Definitions
- Normal Text: Less than 18 point (24px) or less than 14 point (18.5px) bold
- Large Text: At least 18 point (24px) or at least 14 point (18.5px) bold
- Bold Text: Text with font-weight of at least 700
- Point Size: 1 point ≈ 1.333 pixels at standard resolution
Benefits of Compliance
- Broader audience reach and improved user experience
- Better SEO performance and visibility
- Reduced legal risk and potential liability
- Alignment with corporate social responsibility goals
- Improved readability for all users, not just those with disabilities
- Better brand perception and professional impression
Features of Our Color Contrast Checker
Easy Color Selection
- Visual color picker for intuitive selection
- Direct HEX code input for precision
- Preset color palette with common options
- Recent colors history for quick access
- Color swap functionality
- Visual color preview
Comprehensive Results
- Precise contrast ratio calculation
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA and AAA compliance checks
- Normal and large text evaluations
- Visual pass/fail indicators
- Plain language explanations of results
- Practical improvement recommendations
Interactive Preview
- Real-time preview of color combinations
- Different text size examples
- Bold and regular text options
- Immediate visual feedback
- Simulates actual website appearance
- Helps identify subtle readability issues
Practical Tools
- Copy results to clipboard feature
- Shareable color combination data
- Historical color selection tracking
- Suggested alternatives for failing combinations
- Simple, intuitive interface
- No account or login required
Accessibility Focus
- Based on latest WCAG 2.1 guidelines
- Helps create ADA compliant websites
- Educational explanations and resources
- Supports inclusive design practices
- Promotes universal design principles
- Accessible tool interface
Technical Excellence
- Precise luminance calculation algorithm
- WCAG-compliant evaluation methodology
- Works with all color formats
- Fast, client-side processing
- No data sent to servers
- Compatible with all modern browsers
How to Use the Color Contrast Checker
- Select Your Text Color: Use the color picker, enter a HEX code, or choose from the palette to set your foreground (text) color.
- Choose Your Background Color: Similarly, set the background color using any of the available selection methods.
- View the Preview: See how your text will appear with the selected color combination in the preview panel.
- Check the Results: Review the calculated contrast ratio and see if it passes WCAG requirements for both AA and AAA levels.
- Adjust if Needed: If your combination doesn't pass the desired level, adjust your colors until you achieve compliant contrast.
- Try Different Text Sizes: Use the text size selector to check compliance for different text scenarios.
- Copy Your Results: Use the "Copy Results" button to save your color combination and compliance information.
Choosing Accessible Color Combinations
Start with Sufficient Contrast
Begin with high-contrast combinations like black on white or white on black, which offer excellent readability. From there, you can adjust colors while monitoring the contrast ratio to maintain compliance. Darker text on lighter backgrounds typically provides better readability than the reverse.
Consider Color Blindness
Remember that approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color blindness. Avoid combinations that rely solely on differences between red and green or blue and yellow, as these can be problematic for people with color vision deficiencies.
Maintain Brand Identity
If you need to work within brand guidelines, start with your core brand colors and find compliant combinations by adjusting saturation, brightness, or by pairing with neutral colors. Sometimes subtle adjustments to your brand colors can significantly improve contrast while maintaining visual identity.
Test in Context
While our tool provides accurate contrast measurements, always test your color combinations in their intended context. The perception of contrast can vary based on font choice, text size, and the presence of other visual elements. Consider testing with actual content rather than just sample text.
Use Color Wisely
Remember that color should not be the only means of conveying information, as this excludes users who cannot perceive color differences. Use additional visual cues like patterns, shapes, or icons alongside color to ensure all users can access the information.
Common Color Contrast Challenges and Solutions
Branding Constraints
Challenge: Working with established brand colors that don't provide sufficient contrast.
Solution: Create a secondary accessible color palette derived from but not identical to your primary brand colors. Use the primary colors for large elements and the secondary palette for text and critical information.
Decorative Design Elements
Challenge: Maintaining an aesthetic design while ensuring readable text.
Solution: Place text on solid color backgrounds or semi-transparent overlays rather than directly on complex patterns or images. Use shadows or outlines to enhance contrast when text must appear over varied backgrounds.
Light UI Design Trends
Challenge: Modern minimalist designs often use low-contrast gray text on white backgrounds.
Solution: Instead of light gray (#CCCCCC), use darker grays (#767676 or darker) that meet the 4.5:1 minimum. Reserve lighter grays for non-essential decorative elements or larger, bold headings.
Interactive Elements
Challenge: Ensuring buttons, links, and form controls are distinguishable and meet contrast requirements.
Solution: Use a combination of color, shape, and labels to identify interactive elements. Ensure a minimum 3:1 contrast ratio between the element and its surroundings, in addition to text contrast requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a contrast ratio and how is it calculated?
A contrast ratio is a measure of the difference in perceived luminance (or brightness) between two colors. It ranges from 1:1 (no contrast, same color) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, black on white). The calculation uses the relative luminance of each color according to the formula defined in WCAG 2.1. It takes into account how the human eye perceives different colors, giving more weight to green than red or blue.
Why do some color combinations that look fine to me fail the test?
Human visual perception varies widely. You might find a particular color combination perfectly readable while others with different visual capabilities might struggle. The contrast standards are designed to accommodate a broad range of users, including those with various types of color blindness, low vision, or age-related vision changes. Following these standards ensures your content is accessible to the widest possible audience.
Do I need to meet AAA level contrast for all content?
While AAA level provides the most accessible experience, WCAG typically recommends at least AA compliance as a minimum standard. AAA level may be appropriate for sites specifically targeting users with vision impairments or for critical information like medical instructions or legal documents. For most websites, achieving AA compliance is a practical goal that significantly improves accessibility.
Does this tool check all types of color contrast issues?
This tool specifically checks text-to-background contrast for readability. Other aspects of visual accessibility, such as distinguishing adjacent colors in charts or ensuring non-text elements have sufficient contrast, may require additional testing. For comprehensive accessibility testing, consider combining this tool with other specialized accessibility evaluation tools.
Are there exceptions to the contrast requirements?
Yes, WCAG provides some exceptions. Decorative text that isn't essential for understanding the content, text within logos or brand names, and incidental text in inactive UI components or images are exempt from contrast requirements. However, it's still good practice to make all content as readable as possible whenever feasible.