You’ve spent hours perfecting your design. The layout is clean, the images are sharp, and the typography is elegant. But can people actually read it? Poor color contrast is one of the most common and damaging accessibility issues on the web, and it can alienate up to 1 in 12 people with some form of color vision deficiency.
Fortunately, it's also one of the easiest issues to fix. In this article, we'll cover the five most common contrast mistakes we see and show you how to solve them using simple principles and a free tool.
Mistake 1: The "Subtle" Light Gray Text
This is the number one offender in modern web design. Designers love using a soft gray for secondary text, metadata, or captions because it feels less visually "heavy" than pure black. The problem is, "subtle" often becomes "illegible" for many users.
The Fix: Don't guess. Your base body text should almost always have a very high contrast ratio. If you're using a white background (#FFFFFF), aim for a dark gray no lighter than #555555. For anything lighter, you must test it.
Mistake 2: Text Over Complex Background Images
Placing text directly on a photograph or a textured background is a classic design technique, but it’s an accessibility minefield. The part of the image behind your text might be dark, but a few pixels over, it could be bright white, rendering your words unreadable.
The Fix: Add a semi-transparent overlay between the image and the text. A dark overlay with 60-80% opacity will darken the image enough to ensure that white text placed on top remains consistently legible. Alternatively, you can apply a subtle blur effect to the background image directly behind the text.
Mistake 3: Relying on Color Alone for Links
Imagine a paragraph where links are the same color as the text, only a slightly different shade of blue. For a user with color blindness, that link is completely invisible. The WCAG guidelines state that color should not be the *only* visual means of conveying information.
The Fix: Always combine color with another visual cue. The most common and effective solution is a simple underline. On hover, you can add an additional effect, like removing the underline or making it bolder, but the initial state should be clearly identifiable without relying on color alone.
Mistake 4: Vibrant Buttons with White Text
Bright, saturated colors like yellow, lime green, or orange are fantastic for call-to-action buttons. However, they are notoriously difficult to pair with white text. While they may look "energetic," they often fail to meet the minimum WCAG AA contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
The Fix: If you want to use a vibrant background color, your text almost always needs to be a very dark gray or black. If your brand guidelines demand white text on a bright button, you must use a darker shade of that color. For example, a bright yellow (#FFFF00) button fails with white text, but a darker, golden-yellow (#FFBF00) will pass.
Unsure if your brand colors work? Instantly check them with our free Color Contrast Checker. It takes less than 10 seconds.
Mistake 5: Ignoring Placeholder Text Contrast
The light gray placeholder text inside form fields (e.g., "Enter your email") is another common failure point. Because it's designed to look secondary, it's often designed with a contrast ratio that is too low to be comfortably read by everyone.
The Fix: Ensure your placeholder text meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against the form field's background. A good rule of thumb is to make it a 50-60% tint of your main text color.
Your Path to an Accessible Website
Building an accessible website isn't about memorizing rules; it's about building good habits. By avoiding these common mistakes, you're already on your way to creating a more inclusive and professional user experience.
For a deeper dive into how images, fonts, and colors all play a role in your site's performance, be sure to read our comprehensive hub article: The Complete Guide to Website Asset Optimization.