The lightest grey that still passes
How light can grey text on a white page be before it fails the 4.5:1 contrast rule?
#767676 is the lightest grey that passes on white, at 4.54:1. The popular #777777 misses by a hair, at 4.48:1.
| Grey on white | Contrast | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #999999 | 2.85:1 | fails | |
| #949494 | 3.03:1 | large text only | |
| #8C8C8C | 3.36:1 | large text only | |
| #808080 | 3.95:1 | large text only | |
| #777777 | 4.48:1 | large text only | |
| #767676 | 4.54:1 | passes for body text | |
| #6B6B6B | 5.33:1 | passes for body text | |
| #666666 | 5.74:1 | passes for body text | |
| #595959 | 7.00:1 | passes for body text |
How it was measured
- Contrast was computed with the WCAG 2 formula: relative luminance of each colour, then (lighter + 0.05) ÷ (darker + 0.05).
- All 256 neutral greys were checked against pure white to find the lightest one at or above 4.5:1, and the lightest at or above 3:1.
What this test does not cover
- Pure white ground only.
- The 4.5:1 rule is a floor for legibility, not a guarantee of comfortable reading.
What to do with it
- For body text on white, do not go lighter than #767676.
- For large text (24 px and up) the limit is #949494, at 3.03:1.
- On an off-white page the limits are darker. Check your own pair.
Found a mistake? Write to @witchofdesign. Corrections to the tests are listed on the About page.