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Color Contrast

Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors.

Most accessibility checkers will identify insufficient contrast, but we also recommend using WebAIM's Contrast Checker.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA require the following contrast ratios:

4.5:1 for normal text

3:1 for large text
14 pt / 19 px bold or 18 pt / 24 px

3:1 for graphics and user interface components

Google Docs Preset Colors

A color palette showing Google's preset colors with sufficient contrast, marked with checkmarks

You can change the color of text, objects, and backgrounds in Google Docs with preset or custom colors.

When using the preset colors for text, consider using only the bottom two rows and avoiding yellow. Instead of the preset blue, use Reflex Blue or Azure.

District Colors

The following district colors have sufficient contrast with white for all text or graphics.

PANTONE® Reflex Blue

sRGB 0, 20, 137
HEX 001489
LAB 14.93, 31.87, -67.09
CMYK 100, 87, 0, 20

PANTONE® 285 (Azure)

sRGB 0, 114, 206
HEX 0072CE
LAB 45.28, -4.66, -58.86
CMYK 90, 47, 0, 0

PANTONE® Cool Gray 10

sRGB 99, 102, 106
HEX 63666A
LAB 42.91, -0.23, -2.79
CMYK 57, 46, 40, 25

PANTONE® Cool Gray 11

sRGB 83, 86, 90
HEX 53565A
LAB 36.38, -0.24, -3.08
CMYK 63, 52, 44, 33

PANTONE® 200

sRGB 186, 12, 47
HEX BA0C2F
LAB 41.43, 65.63, 34.16
CMYK 0, 100, 76, 13

PANTONE® 1525

sRGB 185, 71, 0
HEX B94700
LAB 46.86, 45.65, 62.35
CMYK 0, 77, 100, 14

PANTONE® 3522

sRGB 0, 137, 47
HEX 00892F
LAB 46.88, -69.12, 31.98
CMYK 100, 0, 100, 4

PANTONE® 2617

sRGB 71, 10, 104
HEX 470A68
LAB 18.33, 38.18, -39.44
CMYK 85, 100, 0, 23