WCAG AA contrast
Example: A neighborhood cafe sets its menu text in light gray on a cream background until a contrast checker flags it at 2.8:1, below the WCAG AA 4.5:1 minimum, so it darkens the text and the menu becomes readable in bright daylight.
accessible color contrast
A readability standard, defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), that requires body text to contrast at least 4.5:1 against its background and large text (18pt, or 14pt bold) at least 3:1. The AAA threshold is 7:1. Light grey on cream looks refined in a design mockup and fails badly in sunlight.
Why it matters
WCAG AA is the legal accessibility baseline in the US and EU, and it's also simply how readable your menu is on a patio at noon. Brand colors that look lovely in the logo but fail contrast on a menu shut out customers with low vision and invite ADA-compliance lawsuits. Brand Suite's contrast grid scores every pair in your palette.
Frequently asked
What is WCAG AA contrast?
WCAG AA contrast is a readability standard, defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), that requires body text to contrast at least 4.5:1 against its background and large text (18pt, or 14pt bold) at least 3:1. The AAA threshold is 7:1. Light grey on cream looks refined in a design mockup and fails badly in sunlight.
Why does WCAG AA contrast matter for a restaurant?
WCAG AA is the legal accessibility baseline in the US and EU, and it's also simply how readable your menu is on a patio at noon. Brand colors that look lovely in the logo but fail contrast on a menu shut out customers with low vision and invite ADA-compliance lawsuits. Brand Suite's contrast grid scores every pair in your palette.
- Brand identity — the full visible system around your logo
- Logo lockup — mark + wordmark + optional tagline, as one unit
- Clearspace — the empty zone around a logo
- Color palette — the curated set of colors that belong to your brand
- Favicon — the small icon in the browser tab
- Typography pairing — display + body typefaces that work together
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