Free Tool

Color Contrast Checker

Test your color combinations against WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines. Ensure your designs are readable for users with visual impairments.

Select Colors

Preview

Large Text (24px bold)

Normal text (16px) - The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Small text (14px) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Why Color Contrast Matters

Color contrast is essential for web accessibility. Poor contrast makes content difficult or impossible to read for users with visual impairments, including those with color blindness or low vision. WCAG guidelines ensure your content is accessible to everyone.

WCAG 2.1 Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define minimum contrast ratios for text content. Level AA is the standard requirement for most websites, while Level AAA provides enhanced accessibility for users with more severe visual impairments.

Understanding Contrast Ratios

Contrast ratio is expressed as a ratio like 4.5:1, where the first number represents the relative luminance of the lighter color and the second represents the darker color. Higher ratios mean more contrast and better readability.

Legal Requirements

Many countries have laws requiring web accessibility. In the US, Section 508 and ADA requirements often reference WCAG standards. In the EU, the Web Accessibility Directive requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance for public sector websites.

Quick Tips:

  • • Always test both dark-on-light and light-on-dark combinations
  • • Don't rely solely on color to convey information
  • • Test with real users who have visual impairments when possible
  • • Consider color blindness - about 8% of men have some form
  • • Use browser extensions to simulate color vision deficiencies

Need Help With Accessibility?

We can help ensure your website meets WCAG accessibility standards. From color choices to semantic HTML, we'll make your site accessible to everyone.