Accessible Text Colors for Your Blog

Make your content readable for everyone while maintaining beautiful design. Get contrast-approved colors and test your own brand palette.

Why Accessible Colors Matter

Choosing the right font colors isn’t just about style, it’s about making sure your blog is easy for everyone to read. Accessibility matters for your audience, and it also impacts your site’s performance in search results.

Readability for All

Accessible colors make it easier for everyone, including readers with vision impairments or color blindness, to enjoy your content.

Seo and User Experience

Google values accessible websites, and better readability helps keep visitors on your page longer.

Professional Design

Accessible colors often look more polished and provide a cleaner, more modern feel.

Understanding WCAG Standards

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set contrast requirements to ensure text is readable. Here’s what you need to know:

AA Standard

4.5:1

Normal text (most common)

3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)

Meets needs of most users, including those with moderately low vision. This is the standard most websites aim for.

AAA Standard

7:1

Enhanced contrast (ideal goal)

4.5:1 for large text

Provides enhanced readability for users with more significant vision impairments. The gold standard for accessibility.

Accessible Text Colors on a White Background

These are not the ONLY accessible colors, just a sampling. If you’d like to tweak any of the colors below to match your branding better, click on the HEX code to copy it and paste it below in the Color Checker.

AAA Compliant Colors

Contrast ≥ 7:1 — Highest accessibility standard

Blacks & Grays (2)

black
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#00000021.00:1
darkslategray
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#2F4F4F8.93:1

Blues & Purples (10)

navy
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#00008016.01:1
darkblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#00008B15.30:1
midnightblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#19197014.85:1
indigo
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#4B008212.95:1
mediumblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#0000CD11.16:1
purple
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#8000809.42:1
darkslateblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#483D8B9.07:1
blue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#0000FF8.59:1
darkmagenta
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#8B008B8.50:1
rebeccapurple
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#6633998.41:1

Reds & Browns (4)

maroon
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#80000010.95:1
darkred
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#8B000010.01:1
saddlebrown
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#8B45137.10:1
brown
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#A52A2A7.08:1

Greens (1)

darkgreen
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#0064007.44:1

AA Compliant Colors

Contrast ≥ 4.5:1 but < 7:1 — Standard accessibility

Blacks & Grays (1)

dimgray
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#6969695.49:1

Blues & Purples (6)

darkviolet
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#9400D36.56:1
blueviolet
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#8A2BE25.96:1
darkorchid
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#9932CC5.70:1
slateblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#6A5ACD5.31:1
royalblue
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#4169E14.85:1
teal
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#0080804.77:1

Reds & Browns (4)

firebrick
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#B222226.68:1
sienna
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#A0522D5.62:1
mediumvioletred
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#C715855.42:1
crimson
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#DC143C4.99:1

Greens (2)

darkolivegreen
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#556B2F5.95:1
green
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
#0080005.14:1

Accessible Text Color Checker

Use this contrast checker to test your own brand colors against a white background. Enter the hex codes of the font color and the background color and you’ll see if passes the accessibility standards. If you like one of the colors from the list above, but would want to tweak it for your site, you can adjust the color by clicking on the box to the right of the hex code input.

Text Color

Background Color

21:1
AAA
Normal Text AAA
PASS
Normal Text AA
PASS
Large Text AAA
PASS
Large Text AA
PASS

Text Preview

Normal Text (16px)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Large Text (24px)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Small Text (14px)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Tips for Using Accent Colors

Your blog doesn’t need to be all black or gray text. Accent colors can highlight important areas like buttons, links, and headings, while still being accessible:

  • Headings: Use darker, high-contrast shades of your brand colors for headings. For example, a deep green or burgundy can work well as long as it meets the 4.5:1 ratio.
  • Links: Make sure links are clearly visible against body text. Use both color and a visual cue like underline or bold to make them stand out.
  • Buttons: Buttons should have strong contrast between background and text. A dark-colored button with white text usually passes easily; if you prefer lighter button backgrounds, make the text darker for balance.
  • Hover states: Don’t rely only on color changes—add underlines, bold, or subtle shadows so readers can see interactive elements even if they can’t distinguish colors well.

What’s the difference between AA and AAA standards?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have different levels of contrast requirements.

AA is the standard most sites aim for, it means your text is readable for the majority of people, including those with moderately low vision.

AAA is stricter and requires even higher contrast, making text easier to read for people with more significant vision impairments. Of course, AAA is the goal so everyone can read your blog.