Visual Hierarchy
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Legibility is critical for universal accessibility and rigorous design systems.
A contrast checker is an accessibility tool that measures the luminance difference between foreground and background colors. It calculates the contrast ratio and evaluates whether your color combination meets WCAG 2.1 standards. Color Taste's contrast checker provides instant pass/fail results for AA and AAA levels, along with auto-fix suggestions when your colors don't meet requirements.
Verify your colors meet WCAG AA standards: 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text and UI components.
Check against the stricter AAA standard: 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text.
Test contrast for normal text, large text (18pt+), buttons, input borders, icons, and other UI elements.
Type or paste your text/foreground color in HEX, RGB, or HSL format into the first input field.
Enter your background color in the second field. See the live preview update in real time.
The contrast ratio is calculated automatically. Green checkmarks indicate passing, red crosses indicate failing WCAG levels.
When your combination fails, click the auto-fix suggestion to adjust your colors while maintaining design intent.
Get real-time contrast ratio calculations with pass/fail results for both AA and AAA standards.
When contrast fails, receive smart suggestions that adjust your colors minimally to meet accessibility requirements.
See exactly how your text looks on your background color with real-time previews for different text sizes.
Work in your preferred color format. The checker handles all conversions automatically.
Verify accessibility during the design process.
Validate contrast in code before shipping.
Ensure token palettes meet WCAG standards.
Audit and remediate contrast issues at scale.
WCAG 2.1 defines minimum contrast ratios for different content types and compliance levels:
4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold). This is the most common compliance target.
7:1 for normal text, 4.5:1 for large text. The gold standard for maximum accessibility.
3:1 minimum for buttons, input borders, icons, and any graphical element that conveys meaning.
For WCAG AA: normal text needs at least 4.5:1, large text (18pt or 14pt bold) needs at least 3:1, and non-text UI components need at least 3:1.
AAA is a stricter standard: 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Most design systems target AA as the minimum, with AAA as an aspirational goal for critical content.
Yes. Color Taste's contrast checker accepts HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats. Enter your colors in any format and the tool handles conversion automatically.
When your color combination fails, Color Taste suggests adjusted colors that meet WCAG requirements while staying as close as possible to your original design intent. Click the suggestion to apply it instantly.
Yes, Color Taste's contrast checker is completely free. No signup, no watermarks, no usage limits. Check as many color combinations as you need.