Free online color contrast checker tool to test accessibility compliance. Check if your text and background colors meet WCAG AA and AAA standards. Get instant contrast ratios and accessibility recommendations.
Quick Colors:
Quick Colors:
Sample Heading Text
Heading (Large text - Requires 3:1 for AA)
Sample Subheading Text
Subheading (Large text - Requires 3:1 for AA)
Sample body text that demonstrates how your content will appear with the selected color combination.
Body Text (Normal text - Requires 4.5:1 for AA)
Contrast Ratio
WCAG Compliance
AA Normal
Pass
(4.5:1)
Minimum standard for normal text. Required for most websites.
AA Large
Pass
(3:1)
For large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Lower requirement due to size.
AAA Normal
Pass
(7:1)
Enhanced standard for normal text. Better for visual impairments.
AAA Large
Pass
(4.5:1)
Enhanced standard for large text. Optimal accessibility level.
Color contrast refers to the difference in luminance (brightness) between two colors. It's a critical aspect of web accessibility that determines how easily users can distinguish text from its background. The contrast ratio is calculated using a formula that compares the relative luminance of the foreground (text) and background colors.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define minimum contrast ratios to ensure that text is readable for users with visual impairments, including color blindness and low vision. Higher contrast ratios make text more readable for everyone, not just those with disabilities.
Contrast Ratio Formula:
Contrast Ratio = (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05)
Where:
- L1 = Relative luminance of the lighter color
- L2 = Relative luminance of the darker colorOur Color Contrast Checker makes it easy to test your color combinations for accessibility compliance. Follow these simple steps to ensure your designs meet WCAG standards.
Use the color pickers or enter hex codes to select your foreground (text) and background colors. You can click the color swatch to open a visual color picker, or type hex codes directly (e.g., #000000 for black or #ffffff for white).
Select whether you're testing normal text or large text. Large text is defined as 18pt (24px) or larger regular text, or 14pt (18.5px) or larger bold text. Different WCAG standards apply to different text sizes.
Check the contrast ratio and WCAG compliance results. The tool will show you whether your color combination passes WCAG AA (minimum) and AAA (enhanced) standards for both normal and large text. You'll also see a live preview of how your text will appear.
If your color combination doesn't meet the required standards, adjust either the foreground or background color until you achieve compliance. The tool updates in real-time, so you can see results instantly as you make changes.
Our Color Contrast Checker provides a comprehensive set of features to help you create accessible designs that meet WCAG standards.
Instantly check if your color combinations meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA (minimum) and Level AAA (enhanced) standards for both normal and large text. Get clear pass/fail indicators for each compliance level.
Calculate precise contrast ratios using the WCAG 2.1 formula. See the exact ratio displayed as a number (e.g., 4.5:1) to understand how your colors compare.
See exactly how your text will appear with the selected color combination. The preview updates in real-time as you adjust colors, giving you immediate visual feedback.
Use the visual color picker for easy selection or enter hex codes directly. Both methods are supported, making it convenient for designers and developers alike.
Test both normal and large text sizes. The tool automatically applies the correct WCAG standards based on your text size selection, ensuring accurate compliance checking.
Completely free to use with no registration required. Test as many color combinations as you need without any limitations or hidden fees.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of international standards for web accessibility. Color contrast is crucial because it ensures that text is readable for users with visual impairments, including those with color blindness, low vision, or age-related vision changes. Without sufficient contrast, text becomes difficult or impossible to read, excluding many users from accessing your content.
WCAG Level AA is the minimum standard required for most websites and applications. It requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. WCAG Level AAA is the enhanced standard, requiring 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. While AAA provides better accessibility, it can be more challenging to achieve in design. Most organizations aim for AA compliance as a minimum.
According to WCAG, large text is defined as 18pt (24px) or larger regular text, or 14pt (18.5px) or larger bold text. Large text has lower contrast requirements because it's easier to read. Headings, titles, and emphasized text often qualify as large text if they meet these size requirements.
You should test all unique color combinations used for text and backgrounds on your site. This includes body text, headings, links, buttons, form labels, error messages, and any other text elements. Focus on testing the most common combinations first, especially those used for primary content and interactive elements.
If your colors don't meet WCAG requirements, you have several options: (1) Darken or lighten one of the colors to increase contrast, (2) Use a different color that provides better contrast, (3) Increase the text size if it qualifies as large text, (4) Use bold text if it meets the large text size requirement. The tool updates in real-time, so you can experiment with different colors until you find a combination that works.
Yes, our Color Contrast Checker is completely free to use. There are no registration requirements, no hidden fees, and no limitations on usage. You can test as many color combinations as you need without any restrictions.
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