Check Color Contrast for Web Accessibility
What is WCAG Color Contrast?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a series of recommendations for making Web content more accessible. One key aspect is "Contrast Ratio," which measures the difference in luminance (brightness) between two colors. The scale ranges from 1:1 (white text on white background) to 21:1 (black text on white). WCAG defines two levels of compliance: Level AA (minimum standard) and Level AAA (gold standard), with specific ratio requirements for text and user interface components to ensure they are perceivable by people with low vision/color blindness.
Essential Features for Accessible Design
Our Color Contrast Checker is built to help designers and developers create more inclusive digital products with ease and precision.
Get instant Pass/Fail results for WCAG AA and AAA levels as you adjust color sliders or input codes.
Input colors in Hex, RGB, HSL, or use the intuitive color picker. We handle the conversion automatically.
See the exact contrast ratio (e.g., 5.42:1) and detailed validation for Normal Text, Large Text, and Graphical Components.
Future updates will automatically suggest compliant color variations closest to your original choice.
Zero data collection. All calculations are performed instantly in your browser.
Easily copy your color codes and test results to share with your team or include in documentation.
How To Check Color Contrast
Ensuring your colors are accessible is a quick process. Follow these simple steps to validate your color palette.
Enter the Hex code (e.g., #000000) for your text or graphical object, or use the color picker.
Enter the Hex code (e.g., #FFFFFF) for the background behind your text or object.
The tool immediately calculates the contrast ratio. Look for the big number (e.g., 21.00).
Check the "Pass/Fail" badges for WCAG AA and AAA standards for both Normal and Large text sizes.
If you fail a test, tweak the lightness or saturation of your colors until you reach the desired passing ratio.
Copy the compliant color codes directly into your CSS, Figma file, or design system documentation.
Tips for Accessible Color Design
Designing for accessibility doesn't mean abandoning color. Use these tips to balance aesthetics with readability.
Never use color as the only means of conveying information (e.g., error messages). Use icons or text labels alongside color indicators.
View your design in black and white. If you can still distinguish different elements, your contrast is likely sufficient.
Avoid using complementary colors of equal brightness (like bright red on bright green) adjacent to each other, as they can cause visual vibration.
Thinner fonts are harder to read. If you are on the borderline of a passing ratio, try using a bolder font weight.
Ensure hyperlinks have a 3:1 contrast ratio against the surrounding text (if they are not underlined) and against the background.
Orange and yellow text is notoriously difficult to use accessibly on white backgrounds. They often require a dark background to pop.
Great For Design & Development Teams
Accessibility is a team sport. Our contrast checker fits perfectly into various stages of your product workflow.
Validate color palettes during the design phase to avoid costly rework later. Ensure buttons and text are readable.
Double-check CSS color values during implementation to ensure the coded product meets accessibility standards.
Perform quick accessibility audits on existing pages to flag violations and report issues.
Define accessible brand guidelines. Make sure your primary and secondary brand colors can be used safely together.
Ensure that colored text used in articles or marketing emails maintains sufficient contrast against the background.
Verify that digital properties meet legal requirements (like Section 508 or ADA) regarding visual accessibility.
Why Prioritize Color Accessibility?
Testing for contrast isn't just about ticking boxes. It creates a better experience for users and tangibly benefits your business.
Make your website usable for the 2.2 billion people globally with vision impairments. Accessibility is essential usage, not a feature.
High contrast text is easier for everyone to read, reducing eye strain and increasing reading speed and comprehension.
Search engines like Google favor accessible websites. Good user metrics (like lower bounce rates) from readable content can boost rankings.
Mitigate the risk of accessibility-related lawsuits. Compliance with WCAG AA is the standard legal defense for digital accessibility.
Strong contrast helps users view your content on mobile screens, especially outdoors in bright glare.
Demonstrate a commitment to quality and ethics. Accessible products are a hallmark of professional engineering and design.
Technical Specifications
How our Color Contrast Checker works under the surface.
Implements the relative luminance formula defined in WCAG 2.0/2.1 Recommendation: L = 0.2126 * R + 0.7152 * G + 0.0722 * B.
Native support for sRGB color space. Conversions are handled for Hex (#RRGGBB), RGB (r, g, b), and HSL (h, s%, l%).
Validates against WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria 1.4.3 (Contrast Minimum) and 1.4.6 (Contrast Enhanced).
Progressive Web App (PWA) capable. Runs entirely in the browser with no server-side dependencies.
Calculates ratios to two decimal places (e.g., 4.54:1) for precise pass/fail determination.
Free to use for commercial and personal projects. No data retention policy ensures complete privacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions? We have answers.