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Dark red on black: contrast checker

Dark red on black means #8b0000 text on a #000000 background, and the contrast ratio is 2.09:1. It fails every WCAG text level and the 3 to 1 rule for UI components. A deep red that vanishes into black, sometimes chosen for horror or gaming themes.

Contrast ratio

Fails every WCAG level.

Large text, 24 px bold

Normal text at 16 px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog, and the contrast should be easy to read.

Button

Colour-blindness preview

How the pair may look with each type of colour vision, and whether normal text still passes AA. This is an approximation for design checks, not a medical test.

  • Aa Sample textProtanopiaNo red-sensitive cones.1.59:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textDeuteranopiaNo green-sensitive cones.2.43:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textTritanopiaNo blue-sensitive cones.2.37:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textAchromatopsiaNo colour vision, only light and dark.2.08:1AA fail

rgb(139, 0, 0) · hsl(0, 100%, 27%)

rgb(0, 0, 0) · hsl(0, 0%, 0%)

  • AA normal text4.5:1Fail
  • AA large text3:1Fail
  • AAA normal text7:1Fail
  • AAA large text4.5:1Fail
  • UI and graphics3:1Fail

Contrast ratio 2.09 to 1. Fails every WCAG level.

Fix suggestions

The closest colours that reach 4.50:1. Only lightness changes, so the hue stays the same.

Change the text colour

Or change the background

Similar colour pairs

How to check any pair

  1. Enter two colours

    Type a hex, rgb or hsl value, use the colour picker, or pick any pixel on your screen where the browser supports it.

  2. Read the verdict

    The ratio and five badges update as you type. Each badge says pass or fail for one WCAG level.

  3. Check the specimen

    See your colours as normal text, large text, a button outline and an icon, exactly as a visitor would.

  4. Fix a failing pair

    Pick a target ratio and apply the closest passing colour. Only lightness changes, so your hue stays recognisable. A colour-blindness preview shows how the pair holds up for other eyes.

  5. Share or compare

    Copy the result as text, CSS or an image, or copy a link that opens the same colours. Switch to grid mode to compare up to eight colours at once.

Questions about dark red on black

Is dark red on black accessible?

No. #8b0000 on #000000 reaches only 2.09:1, below even the 3 to 1 minimum for large text and UI components.

Can I use dark red on black for body text?

Not for any text size. Use dark red on black only for decoration that carries no information.

How do I fix dark red on black?

Keep the background #000000 and change the text from #8b0000 to #c94a3c. It is the closest colour with the same hue and reaches 4.52:1. The checker above can also suggest a background change.

Next step

Put your colours on a favicon

Once your brand colours pass, turn one of them into a favicon and app icon set, with the manifest and the HTML to paste, in a single ZIP.

Make a favicon
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