Services
Industries
Free Tools
Resources
About Book a Consultation (239) 747-0465
Orlando, FL · Working nationwide since 2008
Free Tool · No signup

Color contrast checker & fixer.

Test any text and background pair against WCAG AA and AAA, then auto-fix a failing color to the nearest compliant shade that still looks on-brand. Grade your whole palette at once. All in your browser.

Large heading text
Normal body text the way a visitor reads it on your page. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Tip: click the text above to type your own copy.
21.00:1
Contrast ratio
Excellent
AA
Normal text
·
needs 4.5:1
AA
Large text
·
needs 3:1
AAA
Normal text
·
needs 7:1
AAA
Large text
·
needs 4.5:1

Closest passing colors

We keep the hue and nudge the lightness until the pair passes, then pick the shade closest to your original color.

Adjust the text color
#000000 4.50:1
Sample
Adjust the background color
#FFFFFF 4.50:1
Sample

Paste your brand colors, one hex per line. We grade every foreground and background pairing against WCAG AA and show which combinations are safe for text.

Reads down = text color, across = background

Want a site that's accessible by default?

Contrast is one of dozens of accessibility details we build into every site so it works for everyone and ranks well. Get a free mockup or audit.

Get a free mockup or audit →

Readable color is not optional, it is the law and good business

If your text and background do not have enough contrast, a real share of your visitors cannot read it, and search engines notice a poor experience too. This checker grades any color pair against the official WCAG ratios, auto-fixes a failing color to the nearest compliant shade that still looks like your brand, and grades a whole palette in one grid. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

How the contrast math works

WCAG measures contrast as a ratio between the relative luminance of two colors. Each color is converted to linear light, weighted by how the eye perceives red, green, and blue, and combined. The ratio is the lighter value plus 0.05 divided by the darker value plus 0.05. It runs from 1:1 (no contrast, same color) to 21:1 (pure black on pure white). We verified our implementation against that known pair: black on white returns exactly 21.00.

The thresholds you need to hit

For normal text, WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 and the stricter AAA requires 7:1. Large text (around 24px regular or 18.66px bold) only needs 3:1 for AA and 4.5:1 for AAA. The tool shows a clear PASS or FAIL badge for each of those four levels so you know exactly where a color pair stands.

Auto-fix that stays on-brand

Most free checkers stop at a red FAIL. Ours suggests a fix. When a pair fails AA, we keep the foreground hue and saturation and only nudge its lightness up or down until it clears 4.5:1, then pick the version closest to your original color. You get a hex that still reads as the same color family, just light or dark enough to be readable. Click apply to load it back into the checker or copy the hex straight into your CSS.

How we compare

UserWay bundles contrast into a paid accessibility widget, and most standalone checkers will tell you a single pair fails but will not suggest an on-brand compliant fix or grade your whole palette. This tool is free, suggests the nearest passing color, and includes a palette matrix that checks every combination of your brand colors at once. No signup, no account.

Pro tips

Frequently asked questions

What is a good color contrast ratio?
WCAG sets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text to meet AA, and 3:1 for large text (about 18.66px bold or 24px regular). AAA is stricter at 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Pure black on pure white is the maximum at 21:1.
How is the contrast ratio calculated?
It uses the WCAG relative luminance formula. Each color channel is converted to linear light, weighted (red 0.2126, green 0.7152, blue 0.0722), and summed. The ratio is the lighter luminance plus 0.05 divided by the darker luminance plus 0.05. We verified the math against the known pair of black on white, which equals 21:1.
How does the auto-fix keep my brand color?
The fixer keeps your foreground hue and saturation and only nudges its lightness up or down until it meets the target ratio, then picks the change closest to your original color. The result still reads as the same color family, just light or dark enough to be readable.
What is the palette matrix mode?
Enter several brand colors and the tool builds a grid showing the contrast ratio of every foreground and background pairing, with a pass or fail mark for WCAG AA. It is a fast way to see which combinations in your palette are safe to use for text.
Does this tool send my colors anywhere?
No. All of the math runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or sent to a server, and you do not need an account.
Pro version coming soon

Your whole design system, accessibility-audited.

The Pro service audits every color, font size, and component on your site for accessibility and delivers a compliant design system.

Get early access, book a free call →