Contraste

Contraste: Open-Source Contrast Checker

Analyze website colors for WCAG accessibility compliance with Contraste, an open-source contrast checker that allows users to enter hex color codes and see AA or AAA pass levels.

What is Contraste?

Contraste is an open-source web application created specifically to help web developers and designers test color contrast on their websites. It analyzes the contrast ratio between two colors entered by the user and determines if that contrast passes accessibility standards set forth by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Users simply input two hex color codes into the Contraste interface. The app then calculates the contrast ratio between those two colors and indicates whether that contrast ratio passes the minimum thresholds for AA compliance (4.5:1 ratio) or AAA compliance (7:1 ratio). A traffic light system clearly shows whether the contrast passes (green), does not quite pass (yellow) or fails (red) according to WCAG criteria.

In this way, Contraste makes it fast and easy for developers to test entire color systems on their websites. Instead of memorizing contrast ratios or viewing color combinations side-by-side visually, they can use Contraste to objectively evaluate contrast between colors. This helps ensure that text remains readable against colored backgrounds for users with low vision or color deficiencies. As a result, websites can achieve higher accessibility levels with less effort.

As Contraste is open-source software, developers are free to take its code and expand or modify it. They are also free to use Contraste at no cost on any of their projects. The easy-to-use interface and clear pass/fail indications provide a straightforward tool for checking website colors against accessibility best practices.

Contraste Features

Official Links