Why Color Contrast is So Important for Website Accessibility
Have you ever been on a website and struggled to read the text? Not because the font size was too small, but because the colors didn't make it easy on your eyes? Whether you're a web designer or someone building your own site, understanding the importance of color contrast for website accessibility is crucial.
Website Accessibility & Color Contrast
Accessibility is a hot topic in web design. It’s all about making your website’s content accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. Our goal is to try to meet WCAG (website content accessibility guidelines) as much as possible.
Many things factor into web content accessibility, and some of them can be a bit complicated and confusing.
However, one key component in website accessibility is color contrast, and it’s one of the easiest things to check and get right whether you are a professional designer or DIY-ing your own website. Good color contrast ensures everyone can easily read your content, keeping your site user-friendly and enjoyable.
I’ll cover everything you need to know in this article, but if you prefer video, please check out my companion video on YouTube!
Understanding and Measuring Color Contrast Ratios
So, what's the deal with color contrast? Well, it’s more than whether you like how two colors look together. Colors that pair well from a pure design perspective may not work well from an accessibility standpoint.
Take the two images below, for example.
These are both pleasing color combinations at first glance, but they are not equal in terms of acceptable contrast for visual accessibility. When determining if a color combination is good for website accessibility, we use what is called the color contrast ratio to guide us.
The target color contrast ratio is 4.5 or higher. This is the minimum contrast ratio between two colors for them to be considered accessible. Anything below 4.5 will be hard to read in many cases, and it’s best to avoid it if at all possible, especially with text on color backgrounds.
The image on the left above has a contrast ratio of 1.32, while the one on the right has a contrast ratio of 5.08.
Okay, that’s very straightforward, but how do you figure out the contrast ratio? Fortunately, there are tools available that make this a breeze.
Tools for Checking Color Contrast
There are many tools available that you can use to test or check your colors for appropriate contrast. A few that I like and recommend are listed below.
The Color Palette Studio
The team at The Color Palette Studio are the creators of some of my favorite resources for building accessible color palettes. They offer fantastic tools to help you check your color contrast:
Free Color Contrast Checker - This tool allows you to enter two colors and see if they meet the 4.5 contrast ratio. Just input your colors' hex codes or use the color picker. It shows you right away if your color combo is accessible.
Example: Enter a bright red and a dark black. Surprisingly, this combo doesn’t quite meet the 4.5 threshold, but tweaking the red to a lighter shade like pink can push the contrast ratio up to 7.16.
Paid Color Palette Tester—If you frequently need to check multiple colors or entire palettes, this $47 tool is a great investment. It allows you to test multiple colors at once, which is invaluable for ensuring all your colors work well together, not just on your website but also in your social media graphics. It will allow you to filter the results to only the pairings that meet or exceed the 4.5 ratio, and you can export a pdf of the palette or copy the URL for your palette into their free color buddy Chrome extension.
Other Options:
Two other great resources are Adobe’s free contrast checker, which will show you pass/fail results for text and image contrast, and Coolors contrast checker tool. These tools also have options to check how your colors render for people with different types of color blindness (although you may have to pay for those additional features).
Regardless of which tool or tools you choose to use, there are a few tips to keep in mind as you move forward.
Practical Tips for Better Website Accessibility
Consistent Use of Colors: While this article focuses on color accessibility for your website pages, you are likely using the same palette for your entire brand. If not, you should be. Maintaining a consistent palette across your website and social media is important for cohesive branding. Remember, your social media is also being viewed on a screen, so the contrast is as important there as it is on your website for a pleasant user experience.
Regular Checks: Anytime you change your color palette or want to try out a new combination, make sure you check the ratio first. I know—it’s a bummer to fall in love with a color pairing or palette only to find that you have very few or no combinations that are suitable for website accessibility.
Stay Informed: If you’re responsible for the design and maintenance of your website and not working with a professional, you should take some time to educate yourself on website accessibility beyond just color contrast.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is a very broad topic with many components. You’d be wise to read up on the topic and explore options for widgets or services that can help you determine if your site meets guidelines.
There are many options at varying price ranges. As of the writing of this article, I currently have the widget from Accessibe installed on my website. At a minimum, I’d recommend taking advantage of any free audits available to at least give you a baseline and alert you to any potential issues on your website.
Conclusion
Color contrast might seem like a small detail, but the contrast between the text and the background on your website can significantly impact how people perceive and interact with your content. And your eyes can’t be the sole judge of whether or not your color choices meet accessibility standards.
Ensuring your color combinations meet the contrast ratio standard of 4.5 or higher keeps your site user-friendly and engaging while giving you peace of mind. Fortunately, tools like those from The Color Palette Studio, Adobe, and Coolors can help you check and optimize your colors easily.
By regularly checking color contrast as part of your design process, you can ensure that your website and all of your online content are friendly and usable for all visitors. The small amount of time this takes is well worth the effort!
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