Accessible Text Color Finder
Choose the most readable text color for a selected background.
Readable text on any background
Text that fails contrast is invisible to many readers, and guessing whether black or white sits better over a color wastes time. This tool takes your background color and picks the text color with the strongest WCAG contrast, so the copy stays legible for everyone.
It compares the candidates against the official relative-luminance formula rather than eyeballing it, which matters for mid-tone backgrounds where the human eye is a poor judge. The result is the safe choice plus the contrast ratio behind it.
AA and AAA thresholds
WCAG asks for at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text and 3:1 for large or bold text, so the ratio shown here tells you which bar each option clears. Colors are compared in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What does the accessible text color finder do?
It checks contrast ratios for text colors over a selected background and recommends the most readable option.
Which text colors does it compare?
Three options: pure black, pure white, and the custom text color you pick. It ranks them by WCAG contrast ratio against your background and previews the winner on your sample text.
What contrast ratio counts as a pass?
The tool marks 4.5:1 or higher as passing WCAG AA for normal text. Anything lower is flagged as needing larger text or another color; large text (24px, or 18.66px bold) only needs 3:1.
Why does black sometimes beat white on a mid-tone background?
Contrast is based on relative luminance, and many saturated mid-tones (oranges, greens, light blues) are brighter than they look. The ratio tells you which one actually reads better, not which feels more natural.
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