Contrast Checker

✎

Ink

✎

Surface

—

Nearest valid ink

Preview

The quick brown fox

Normal text (14px) requires 4.5 : 1. Large text (18px bold) requires 3 : 1. AAA compliance requires 7 : 1 for all text.

AA Large

≥ 3 : 1

—

≥ 4.5 : 1

—

AAA

≥ 7 : 1

—

AA ≥ 4.5 : 1

The baseline WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirement for normal-sized text — anything below 18pt (24px) regular or 14pt (roughly 18.5px) bold.

This is the legal and practical minimum that most products, government sites, and design systems target. Failing AA means the text is likely unreadable for users with moderate low vision.

AAA ≥ 7 : 1

The enhanced WCAG 2.1 Level AAA standard. Aimed at users with significant visual impairments, including those with 20/80 vision who do not use assistive technology.

WCAG notes that AAA may not be achievable for all content — particularly brand colors or photography — so it's a goal rather than a blanket requirement. Prioritize it for body copy and critical UI text.

AA Large ≥ 3 : 1

A relaxed threshold for large text — defined as 18pt (24px) or larger at normal weight, or 14pt (roughly 18.5px) or larger at bold weight. Larger glyphs are inherently easier to read at lower contrast.

The same 3 : 1 ratio also applies to non-text elements: UI component boundaries, icons, data visualization lines, and focus indicators under WCAG 1.4.11.