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Yellow on white: contrast checker

Yellow on white means #ffff00 text on a #ffffff background, and the contrast ratio is 1.07:1. It fails every WCAG text level and the 3 to 1 rule for UI components. A frequent mistake in highlighted text and warning labels.

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.1.15:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textDeuteranopiaNo green-sensitive cones.1.10:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textTritanopiaNo blue-sensitive cones.1.13:1AA fail
  • Aa Sample textAchromatopsiaNo colour vision, only light and dark.1.07:1AA fail

rgb(255, 255, 0) · hsl(60, 100%, 50%)

rgb(255, 255, 255) · hsl(0, 0%, 100%)

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

Contrast ratio 1.07 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 yellow on white

Is yellow on white accessible?

No. #ffff00 on #ffffff reaches only 1.07:1, below even the 3 to 1 minimum for large text and UI components.

Can I use yellow on white for body text?

Not for any text size. Use yellow on white only for decoration that carries no information.

How do I fix yellow on white?

Keep the background #ffffff and change the text from #ffff00 to #7a7a00. It is the closest colour with the same hue and reaches 4.55:1. 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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Colour Placeholder GeneratorExact-size placeholder images in any colour, named for you.Open toolPalette from ImageDrop an image, get a palette you can paste into code.Open toolFavicon and App Icon GeneratorOne image in, every icon and the HTML snippet out.Open toolDevice Mockup GeneratorPut a screenshot in a clean device frame in seconds.Open tool

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