Background Contrast Checker
Find accessible text colors for any background. Enter a background color and instantly see which text colors pass WCAG AA and AAA, so you can pick the best one for the job.
Preview
Recommended Text Colors
What Is a Background Contrast Checker?
A background contrast checker works backwards from the text contrast checker: instead of testing a specific text color against a background, it starts with a background and recommends the text colors that pass accessibility requirements on it. This is useful when you have already chosen a background — like a brand color, dark mode surface or hero image overlay — and need to know what color your text should be.
How It Works
OmniColor tests the given background against a curated set of common text colors (white, near-black, and a range of grays) and reports the exact contrast ratio for each. It then recommends the highest-contrast option and shows alternatives that still meet WCAG AA.
Common Text Color Rules
- Light backgrounds (luminance > 0.5): Use dark text — usually near-black.
- Dark backgrounds (luminance < 0.5): Use white or near-white text.
- Mid-tone backgrounds: Choose whichever gives you the higher contrast — often this is white on blue, but black on yellow.
- Tinted backgrounds: Match the text hue to the background tint for a cohesive look (dark navy text on light blue background).