#ef4444 on #ffffff contrast ratio
3.76:1
Red (Tailwind red-500) text (#ef4444) on a white background (#ffffff) is only acceptable for large text and UI components under WCAG 2.2. It passes 2 of 5 checks below.
Swap: #ffffff on #ef4444Large text sample
Normal body text in #ef4444 on #ffffff. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
WCAG 2.2 results
| Normal text — WCAG 1.4.3 AA | 4.5:1 | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Large text — WCAG 1.4.3 AA | 3:1 | Pass |
| UI components & icons — WCAG 1.4.11 AA | 3:1 | Pass |
| Normal text — WCAG 1.4.6 AAA | 7:1 | Fail |
| Large text — WCAG 1.4.6 AAA | 4.5:1 | Fail |
Nearest passing colours
AA (4.5:1)
AAA (7:1)
How it looks with colour blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model at full severity.
- Aa
Protanopia (no red cones)
5.25:1
- Aa
Deuteranopia (no green cones)
3.17:1
- Aa
Tritanopia (no blue cones)
3.93:1
- Aa
Achromatopsia (no colour)
3.74:1
Try a different pair
Colours
Hex, rgb() or hsl(). Alpha is composited.
Preview
Large heading text
Normal body text at 14 px. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Colour-blindness preview
Simulated with Machado et al. (2009), full severity.
- AaProtanopia (no red cones)5.25:1
- AaDeuteranopia (no green cones)3.17:1
- AaTritanopia (no blue cones)3.93:1
- AaAchromatopsia (no colour)3.74:1
Contrast ratio
3.76:1
| Check | Criterion | Needs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal text | 1.4.3 AA | 4.5:1 | Fail |
| Large text | 1.4.3 AA | 3:1 | Pass |
| UI components & graphics | 1.4.11 AA | 3:1 | Pass |
| Normal text | 1.4.6 AAA | 7:1 | Fail |
| Large text | 1.4.6 AAA | 4.5:1 | Fail |
Nearest passing colours
Same hue, lightness adjusted in OKLCH.
AA — 4.5:1
Change text
#df3337 · 4.50:1
Change background
#1c1c1c · 4.52:1
AAA — 7:1
Change text
#b60011 · 7.00:1
Large text means at least 24 CSS px, or 18.66 CSS px bold. Ratios are truncated, never rounded, so 4.49:1 is shown as failing 4.5:1.
Questions about this pair
- Is #ef4444 on #ffffff accessible?
- Only for large text. At 3.76:1 it meets the 3:1 large-text and UI-component thresholds but fails the 4.5:1 needed for normal body text.
- What is the contrast ratio of #ef4444 and #ffffff?
- 3.76:1, calculated with the WCAG 2.2 relative luminance formula. The ratio is truncated, not rounded, so it never shows a failing pair as passing.
- What colour passes AA on #ffffff?
- #df3337 is the closest colour to #ef4444 — same hue, adjusted lightness — that reaches 4.5:1 on #ffffff.
Related colour pairs
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- Aa 1.09:1#ffffff on #fef2f2 · Fails
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- Aa 19.19:1#000000 on #fef2f2 · AAA
- Aa 1.22:1#fee2e2 on #ffffff · Fails
- Aa 1.22:1#ffffff on #fee2e2 · Fails
- Aa 17.19:1#fee2e2 on #000000 · AAA
- Aa 17.19:1#000000 on #fee2e2 · AAA
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- Aa 1.44:1#ffffff on #fecaca · Fails
- Aa 14.51:1#fecaca on #000000 · AAA
- Aa 14.51:1#000000 on #fecaca · AAA