Accessibility Color Checker [2025]
Test your color combinations for WCAG contrast compliance.
Color Inputs
Information
This tool checks color contrast based on WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
Large Text: Typically 18pt (≈24px) or 14pt (≈18.66px) bold.
Aim for at least AA compliance. AAA provides enhanced contrast.
Contrast Result--- : 1
Preview
Large Text Example
Normal text example. WCAG compliance ensures readability for users with visual impairments. Check both AA and AAA levels.
Smaller text example. This size typically requires higher contrast ratios, often needing to meet AAA standards for good legibility.
Why Check Color Contrast?
Good color contrast is crucial for readability, especially for users with visual impairments like low vision or color blindness.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) sets minimum contrast ratios to ensure text is legible against its background.
- AA Level: The minimum acceptable contrast.
- AAA Level: Enhanced contrast, ideal for broader accessibility.
- Different ratios are required for normal vs. large text.
Understanding the Results
The tool calculates the contrast ratio between your chosen foreground and background colors.
- Contrast Ratio: A number from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (max contrast - black/white).
- Pass/Fail Badges: Indicate if the ratio meets the minimum requirement for each WCAG level and text size.
- Normal Text: Requires higher contrast (4.5:1 for AA, 7:1 for AAA).
- Large Text: Requires slightly lower contrast (3:1 for AA, 4.5:1 for AAA).
Always aim for the highest compliance level possible for your design constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work for text on gradients or images?
This tool checks solid foreground colors against solid background colors. For text on complex backgrounds like gradients or images, you need to test the contrast at the specific points where the text overlaps the background, potentially checking the least contrasting area. Specialized tools or manual checks might be needed for those cases.
What about non-text elements like icons or borders?
WCAG 2.1 also has contrast requirements for graphical elements and user interface components (Success Criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast). These generally require a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colors. While this tool focuses on text contrast, the calculated ratio can help inform decisions for UI elements too.
Can I input RGB or HSL values?
Currently, this tool primarily uses HEX color codes (#RRGGBB) for input, as they are common in web development. You can use the integrated color picker or manually enter the HEX code.
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