How to check text colors with Contrast Pair Desk

Enter two opaque sRGB hex colors and choose Check contrast. Contrast Pair Desk shows a sample, a ratio and four separate text-contrast decisions. Start with the gray-and-white example, which meets only AA large text, then check your own pair and download the report before resetting or leaving. This checks one solid pair, not a whole page.

Open Contrast Pair Desk

Start with the gray-and-white example

Choose Load example to put #777777 in Foreground / text and #FFFFFF in Background. Then choose Check contrast. Loading the fields alone does not calculate a result. After checking, the app shows gray text on white in its isolated sample, both relative luminances and a contrast ratio of 4.478:1.

Read all four decisions rather than looking for one overall pass. This pair meets AA large text. AA normal text, AAA normal text and AAA large text are below threshold. In particular, 4.478 is below 4.5, so the gray example does not meet either decision that requires 4.5:1.

Match the decision to your actual text

The app compares the same ratio against four thresholds: AA normal text requires 4.5:1, AA large text 3:1, AAA normal text 7:1 and AAA large text 4.5:1. A pair can meet one requirement while falling below another. Decide which row applies to the text you are reviewing before using the result.

The app defines large text as at least 18 pt regular or 14 pt bold. Check the size and weight in your actual design separately; the sample does not inspect your fonts. Ratios display to three decimal places, but decisions use the unrounded calculation. If a displayed number appears to reach a threshold while its decision says Below threshold, follow the decision rather than rounding it yourself.

Enter your own pair and correct format errors

Replace the two values with your text and background colors. Include the leading # and use either three or six hexadecimal digits. For example, #000 and #fff are accepted; a successful check expands them to #000000 and #FFFFFF. That black-and-white pair produces 21.000:1 and meets all four thresholds. Spaces around an otherwise valid value and either letter case are accepted.

If checking fails, correct the marked fields. The app keeps both entered strings and focuses the first invalid field. A color name such as white, an rgb() expression or an eight-digit hex value with alpha is outside the accepted format. Supply an opaque #RGB or #RRGGBB value instead. Change colors manually and check again; the app does not choose an improved pair for you.

Recheck after editing or swapping

Editing either field immediately clears the previous ratio, sample, decisions and report, and disables Download. Choose Check contrast again after each adjustment. An invalid submission also leaves no current report to save, so the report cannot silently describe an earlier pair.

Choose Swap colors to exchange foreground and background, then check again to see the reversed specimen. The ratio and threshold decisions remain the same because the calculation uses the lighter and darker luminances regardless of their roles. The preview still changes: white text on gray is a different arrangement to inspect from gray text on white.

Save the current report and respect its scope

After a successful check, use Download .txt to request contrast-pair-report.txt. It records the normalized colors, both luminances, the ratio, all four decisions and explanatory limits. Browser settings control how saving proceeds. If saving is blocked, select and copy the Complete selectable report field as a fallback.

Save what you need before Reset, reload or leaving the tab. Inputs and results stay in volatile tab memory, with no saved history, uploads or persistent storage. Reset clears both fields and the current result; reloading also discards app-held work.

Use the result for one opaque solid sRGB text/background pair. It does not evaluate transparent colors, gradients or photographs, inspect actual typography or certify a whole page. The specimen is illustrative, and a contrast decision alone does not establish readability or accessibility conformance.

AI-assisted ForgeHub editorial. App capabilities were checked against its implementation; this guide is not an independent review.