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Contrast Survival

The background keeps shifting color and lightness. Adjust the text lightness to keep passing WCAG AA (4.5:1), then AAA (7:1), and survive as long as you can.

What it does

  • Live WCAG contrast ratio while the background drifts
  • AA for the first twenty seconds, then AAA at 7:1
  • Slider and arrow-key controls
  • Shareable survival time

FAQ

Why is mid-tone such a trap?

On a medium-light background neither white nor black text reaches high contrast, so the right text color flips around the middle. That is why mid-tone backgrounds are hard to use for text.

What is the difference between AA and AAA?

AA asks for 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. AAA asks for 7:1 and 4.5:1, which noticeably limits the colors you can use.

More free tools

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  • Component States Explorer - Buttons, inputs and cards in every state - hover, focus, pressed, disabled, error - side by side with contrast checks.
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  • Pass or Fail - Twenty quick rounds: does this text pass WCAG AA contrast? Trust your eye, then see the real ratios.
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  • Easing Golf - Mini golf with animation curves: shape a cubic-bezier so the puck hits every flag on time. Par is three.
  • Token Rush - Swap hard-coded values for the right design tokens, fast. Then flip the theme and see what breaks.
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  • Tab Order - Tap a screen’s buttons, links and fields in the order the Tab key should visit them. Five screens, one WCAG rule.