Verify your color combinations meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. Check AA and AAA compliance for both normal and large text.
16.33:1
AAA
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
This is what your text will look like
Level
Normal Text
Large Text
AA
Pass
Pass
AAA
Pass
Pass
Frequently Asked Questions
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define minimum contrast ratios to ensure text is readable by people with visual impairments. The ratio compares the relative luminance of foreground and background colors on a scale from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (maximum contrast, black on white).
WCAG AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold). WCAG AAA is stricter: 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Most web accessibility standards require AA compliance.
Large text is defined as 18pt (24px) or larger for regular weight, or 14pt (18.66px) or larger for bold weight. Large text has lower contrast requirements because it is inherently easier to read.
Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency. Low contrast also affects readability for users in bright sunlight, on low-quality displays, or for anyone experiencing eye strain. Good contrast benefits everyone.
If your contrast ratio is too low, try darkening the text color or lightening the background (or vice versa). Small adjustments often suffice. Avoid pure gray text on white backgrounds — it almost always fails AA.