Check contrast in context
Test foreground and background combinations where the colors will actually appear: body text, buttons, form labels, focus states, and disabled controls. Small text generally needs stronger contrast than large text. Do not rely on color alone to communicate status or meaning.
- Check normal text and larger text separately.
- Include focus, hover, error, and success states.
- Use labels, icons, or patterns in addition to color where meaning matters.
- Test the interface in both light and dark themes if both are supported.
Build a consistent palette
Choose a small set of roles such as page background, surface, primary action, border, muted text, and status colors. Reuse these roles instead of selecting a new arbitrary color for every component. Validate combinations with a contrast checker and then inspect the real interface.
Use visual effects carefully
Shadows, blur, translucency, and gradients can help establish depth, but they should not reduce text clarity or obscure focus indicators. Test effects on different content and backgrounds, and ensure that interface controls remain distinguishable without relying only on shadows.
Review before publishing
Check the interface at mobile widths, with keyboard navigation, and at different zoom levels. Accessibility tools can help identify potential issues, but automated contrast checks do not replace testing the full experience with real content and interaction.
Example: review a primary button
Check the button label against its background, then inspect the same control during hover, keyboard focus, disabled, and error states. Verify the focus indicator is visible and that the button remains identifiable without color alone. Run contrast checks on the actual color values and inspect the rendered component at normal zoom.
- Test text and icons against their immediate background.
- Check the focus ring against surrounding surfaces.
- Use labels or symbols in addition to red/green status colors.
Accessibility needs more than a passing color score
Contrast is one part of interface accessibility. Keyboard operation, focus order, visible labels, error messages, text resizing, and understandable interaction also matter. Automated tools can identify likely issues but cannot confirm the entire experience is usable.
- Test light and dark themes if the product offers both.
- Inspect at mobile widths and increased zoom.
- Ask users to test important flows when possible.
Before you finish: checklist
Use this quick review to catch common mistakes before you rely on or share the result.
- Text and control contrast checked
- Hover, focus, disabled and error states reviewed
- Meaning not conveyed by color alone
- Mobile and zoom layouts inspected
- Keyboard flow tested in the actual interface
Frequently asked questions
Does a contrast checker certify a whole website as accessible?
No. It checks specific color combinations. Full accessibility also includes semantics, keyboard use, focus, labels, content, and interaction.
Should disabled controls meet the same contrast rules?
Requirements and evaluation can differ for inactive controls, but users still need to understand the interface. Keep disabled states distinguishable and test them in context.
Can color alone communicate an error?
Avoid relying on color alone. Add a clear message, icon, label, or other cue so the information remains understandable to more users.