Color contrast checker

Enter a text color and a background color to see the WCAG contrast ratio, pass or fail for AA and AAA, and the APCA lightness contrast score.

Text color
Background color

Large heading text

Body text: the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Readability matters for everyone.

Small print, 14px. Fine details still need contrast.

Button
WCAG 2 ratio–
APCA Lc–
Normal text AA (4.5:1)Normal text AAA (7:1)
Large text AA (3:1)Large text AAA (4.5:1)
UI components (3:1)APCA

Suggested fixes

If a pair fails, PaletteKit suggests the smallest change that passes. It adjusts only lightness in OKLCH, so your brand hue and saturation stay recognisable. Use the eyedropper in supporting browsers to pick colors from anywhere on your screen, swap foreground and background, and preview the result on real headings, body text and buttons before you ship.

Private by design

PaletteKit has no server-side processing. Colors, palettes and images stay in your browser; saved palettes live in local storage on this device only.

Popular palettes

Frequently asked questions

What contrast ratio do I need?

WCAG 2.2 level AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (24px, or 18.66px bold) and for user interface components. Level AAA needs 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text.

What is APCA?

The Accessible Perceptual Contrast Algorithm is a newer contrast model developed for future WCAG versions. It accounts for polarity (dark on light vs light on dark) and font size and weight, and reports a lightness contrast value Lc from about -108 to 106.

Is the WCAG ratio rounded?

No. WCAG says not to round, so 4.49:1 fails AA. We show two decimals and decide pass or fail on the exact value.

Is PaletteKit free?

Yes. Every tool is free with no account, no watermark and no sign-up. Copy codes and download exports as often as you like.

Are my images and colours uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Photos you extract colours from and palettes you save never leave your device.

Can I use the colours commercially?

Yes. Colours and colour codes cannot be owned by us, and anything you create is yours to use in client work, apps, print and branding.

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