🎨 Contrast Checker
Professional WCAG contrast ratio checker that validates color accessibility compliance for web design, providing detailed analysis of text-background color combinations with AA/AAA ratings, suggestions for improvement, and comprehensive accessibility guidelines
Contrast Analysis:
Contrast ratio: 7.21:1 meets accessibility standards
🎨 Color Preview:
Sample Text
This is how your text will look
Normal text (18px)Large Text
Headings and large content
Large text (24px+)✅ WCAG Compliance Results
How to Use This Contrast Checker
How to Use the Contrast Checker:
- Enter your text color using hex codes (#333333), RGB values, or color names
- Enter your background color in the same format as the text color
- Select whether you're testing normal text or large text (affects WCAG requirements)
- Choose which WCAG compliance level to test (AA, AAA, or both)
- Enable visual preview to see how the colors look together
- Add custom sample text to preview your specific content
- Click "Check Contrast" to analyze WCAG compliance and accessibility
- Review the results showing pass/fail status and exact contrast ratios
- Use improvement suggestions if your combination doesn't meet standards
Pro Tips: Use hex codes for precise color matching, enable suggestions for failing combinations, and test both normal and large text sizes for comprehensive accessibility. Remember that WCAG AA is the minimum legal requirement for most websites.
How It Works
Advanced WCAG Contrast Analysis Technology:
The Contrast Checker uses precise WCAG algorithms to calculate color accessibility and compliance:
- Color Parsing: Converts input colors from various formats (hex, RGB, HSL, color names) into standardized RGB values for accurate luminance calculations and consistent analysis
- Luminance Calculation: Applies the official WCAG 2.1 luminance formula using gamma correction to determine the relative brightness of each color according to human visual perception
- Contrast Ratio Computation: Calculates the precise contrast ratio using the formula (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05) where L1 is the lighter color luminance and L2 is the darker color luminance
- WCAG Compliance Testing: Compares calculated ratios against official WCAG 2.1 standards including AA (4.5:1 normal, 3:1 large) and AAA (7:1 normal, 4.5:1 large) requirements
- Visual Preview Generation: Creates real-time color previews showing exactly how text appears on the background with different font sizes and weights for practical assessment
- Accessibility Analysis: Provides detailed compliance reporting including specific pass/fail indicators, improvement recommendations, and alternative color suggestions for failed combinations
- Enhancement Suggestions: When combinations fail, the tool calculates optimal color adjustments to achieve compliance while maintaining design aesthetic and brand consistency
Perfect for web designers, developers, UX professionals, and accessibility specialists ensuring WCAG compliance and inclusive design practices across all digital products and interfaces.
When You Might Need This
- • Web design and development - Ensure text readability and accessibility compliance for websites, web applications, and digital interfaces by testing color combinations against WCAG AA and AAA standards before implementation
- • UI/UX design projects - Validate color schemes for mobile apps, desktop software, and digital products to ensure optimal user experience and accessibility for users with visual impairments and color vision deficiencies
- • Brand and marketing materials - Test brand color combinations for logos, marketing campaigns, advertising materials, and corporate communications to ensure readability across all media and accessibility compliance
- • E-commerce and retail design - Optimize product pages, checkout processes, and shopping interfaces for maximum readability and conversion by ensuring proper contrast ratios for buttons, text, and call-to-action elements
- • Educational content creation - Design accessible learning materials, online courses, presentations, and educational resources that meet institutional accessibility requirements and support diverse learning needs
- • Print and digital publishing - Verify color contrast for books, magazines, newsletters, reports, and digital publications to ensure readability in various lighting conditions and for readers with visual impairments
- • Accessibility auditing and compliance - Conduct comprehensive accessibility assessments for existing websites, applications, and digital products to identify and fix contrast ratio violations that could impact user access
- • Government and public sector - Ensure compliance with Section 508, ADA, and international accessibility standards for public websites, digital services, and government communications that must be accessible to all citizens
- • Healthcare and medical interfaces - Design critical medical software, patient portals, and healthcare applications with optimal contrast ratios to prevent reading errors and ensure patient safety in clinical environments
- • Gaming and entertainment design - Create accessible gaming interfaces, streaming platforms, and entertainment applications that provide inclusive experiences for users with varying visual abilities and preferences
Frequently Asked Questions
What are WCAG AA and AAA contrast ratio requirements?
WCAG AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. WCAG AAA requires 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. These standards ensure accessibility for users with visual impairments and meet legal compliance requirements for most websites and applications.
What color formats does the contrast checker support?
The tool supports multiple color formats including hex codes (#ffffff), RGB values (rgb(255,255,255)), HSL values, and common color names (white, black, blue, etc.). It automatically converts between formats and provides detailed color analysis for comprehensive accessibility testing.
How do I know if my color combination passes accessibility standards?
The tool provides clear pass/fail indicators for each WCAG level, displays the exact contrast ratio (e.g., 7.21:1), and shows visual previews of your text-background combination. Green indicators mean compliance, red means failure, and the tool provides specific suggestions for improvement.
What's considered 'large text' for WCAG compliance testing?
Large text is defined as 18px or larger for regular weight fonts, or 14px or larger for bold fonts. Large text has more relaxed contrast requirements because it's easier to read. The tool automatically applies the correct standards based on your text size selection.
Can this tool help fix failing contrast ratios?
Yes, when a color combination fails WCAG standards, the tool provides specific suggestions for improvement including recommended color adjustments, alternative color combinations, and guidance on achieving the required contrast ratios while maintaining your design aesthetic.