🎨 Color Blindness Simulator
Professional color blindness simulator that applies CSS filters to images to show how they appear to people with protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia. Perfect for designers, developers, and accessibility testing with side-by-side comparisons.
Color Blindness Simulation:
Protanopia (Red-Blind) Simulation Applied
Compare normal vision vs color blindness side-by-side
👁️ Side-by-Side Comparison
🔬 Protanopia Details
Population Impact
L-Cone Deficiency
Primary Symptom
💡 Understanding Protanopia:
People with protanopia lack long-wavelength (red) cone cells. They have difficulty distinguishing reds and greens, often seeing them as yellows or browns. This affects about 1% of men and is much rarer in women.
🎨 CSS Filter Applied
⚠️ Accessibility Note
This simulation provides an approximation of color vision deficiency. Real experiences may vary between individuals. Use this tool to identify potential accessibility issues in your designs.
How to Use This Color Blindness Simulator
How to Use the Color Blindness Simulator
Quick Start Guide:
- Choose Image Source: Upload a file, paste an image URL, or use our sample test image
- Select Color Blindness Type: Choose from protanopia (red-blind), deuteranopia (green-blind), or tritanopia (blue-blind)
- Pick Layout: Select side-by-side, top-bottom, or slider overlay comparison
- Generate Simulation: Click to apply CSS filters and see the results
- Compare & Download: Review the simulated view and download for accessibility testing
Pro Tips:
- Use images with various colors to see the full impact
- Test UI screenshots to identify accessibility issues
- Enable educational information to learn about each condition
- The slider overlay lets you transition between normal and color-blind vision
- All simulations use scientifically accurate CSS filter matrices
Best Practices:
- Test important visual elements like buttons, links, and status indicators
- Check if information is conveyed through color alone (accessibility issue)
- Use this tool during design reviews to ensure inclusive design
- Combine with other accessibility testing tools for comprehensive evaluation
How It Works
How Color Blindness Simulation Works
CSS Filter Technology:
Our simulator uses advanced CSS filter matrices to transform colors mathematically, simulating how people with different types of color vision deficiency perceive images. This approach is based on scientific research into the human visual system.
Color Vision Science:
Normal color vision relies on three types of cone cells in the retina: L-cones (red), M-cones (green), and S-cones (blue). Color blindness occurs when one or more cone types are missing or function differently.
Simulation Types:
- Protanopia: Missing L-cones (red-sensitive), affects ~1% of men
- Deuteranopia: Missing M-cones (green-sensitive), affects ~1% of men
- Tritanopia: Missing S-cones (blue-sensitive), affects ~0.01% of people
Technical Implementation:
The tool applies SVG filter matrices that mathematically transform RGB color values to simulate the missing cone responses. This provides an accurate approximation of how colors appear to individuals with these conditions.
Real-Time Processing:
All transformations happen instantly in your browser using CSS filters - no server processing required. This ensures privacy and immediate results for design testing and accessibility evaluation.
When You Might Need This
- • Web designers testing button colors and navigation elements for accessibility compliance
- • Mobile app developers ensuring icons and UI elements are distinguishable for colorblind users
- • Graphic designers checking logo readability across different types of color vision
- • E-commerce sites validating product images and category colors for inclusive shopping
- • Educational content creators testing infographics and charts for classroom accessibility
- • Game developers ensuring gameplay elements are visible to players with color vision deficiency
- • Data visualization specialists checking chart colors and graph readability
- • Marketing teams testing advertisement visuals for broader audience accessibility
- • UX/UI professionals conducting accessibility audits and inclusive design reviews
- • Healthcare applications testing color-coded medical information and patient interfaces
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this color blindness simulation compared to real vision?
Our simulator uses scientifically-based CSS filter matrices that provide a close approximation of color vision deficiency. While individual experiences vary, these simulations are widely accepted in the accessibility community and follow established research on cone cell deficiencies. The results give designers and developers a practical understanding of how their content appears to colorblind users.
What's the difference between protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia?
Protanopia (red-blind) affects about 1% of men and involves missing L-cone cells, making it difficult to distinguish reds and greens. Deuteranopia (green-blind) also affects ~1% of men with missing M-cone cells, causing similar red-green confusion. Tritanopia (blue-blind) is much rarer (~0.01% of people) and involves missing S-cone cells, affecting blue-yellow perception.
Can I use this tool to test website accessibility compliance?
Yes! This simulator is excellent for identifying potential accessibility issues where information is conveyed through color alone. While it helps with WCAG compliance testing, remember that full accessibility requires multiple approaches including sufficient contrast ratios, alternative text, and other inclusive design practices beyond just color considerations.
Why do some images look almost the same after applying the filter?
Images with limited color ranges or high contrast may appear similar because they don't rely heavily on the specific colors affected by each type of color blindness. This actually indicates good accessibility design! Images that look dramatically different highlight potential visibility issues for colorblind users.
Can I save or download the simulated images for documentation?
Yes, you can download both the original and simulated versions of your images. This is particularly useful for accessibility documentation, design reviews, and sharing examples with team members. The downloaded images maintain the same quality and can be used in presentations or compliance reports.