Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility/Colors#Named web colors
{{short description|Table of colours which are WCAG AAA compatible for 14 different hues}}
{{hatnote|"MOS:COLORS" redirects here. For the MOS guideline on color use and contrast ratios in articles, see MOS:COLOR. This page is for more technical help on color use, see Help:Using colors and Help:Link color. For the WikiProject, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Color. For the civility essay dealing with colors, see Wikipedia:Don't edit war over the color of templates.}}
{{Wikipedia how-to|interprets=Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility|sc1=MOS:COLORS}}
These color tables should help editors choose accessible backgrounds matching various color schemes. The first table contains WCAG AAA compatible for 14 different hues, plus grey and brown. In each row, the "base color" is the simplest representation of the hue. The other colors are derived from the base color by varying its lightness in HSL to achieve the necessary WCAG contrast ratio, which is defined as a ratio of slightly modified CIE relative luminance values.
It is best to choose background colors that offer sufficient contrast in relation to text and blue links, which is also the color of references, both of which are very common in most articles. Use the [https://webaim.org/resources/linkcontrastchecker/?fcolor=202122&bcolor=FFFFFF&lcolor=3366CC WCAG link contrast checker] to ensure that the chosen background color offers the recommended WCAG AA level of contrast against normal text (#202122) and blue links (#3366CC for the default Vector 2022 skin).{{cite web |title=WCAG 2.0 and Link Colors |url=https://webaim.org/blog/wcag-2-0-and-link-colors/ |website=WebAIM Blog |publisher=WebAIM |date=22 July 2009}} WCAG AA is required by various government bodies in the US, EU, UK and Canada.
When links and references are not present, extra contrast is possible by setting the text color to pure black (#000000). If a dark background is desired, it should be used against white text (#FFFFFF) without links or references.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Compatible WCAG AAA background colors against text and links |
| scope="col" colspan=4 | Base color
! scope="col" colspan=3 | Darkest backgrounds for dark text ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="max-width: 7em;" | Lightest background for white text |
|---|
| scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Hue ! scope="col" | Hex ! scope="col" | Color ! scope="col" | Text and links ! scope="col" | Text only ! scope="col" | Pure black text |
| scope="row" | Red
| 0° | FF0000 | style="background-color:#FF0000" | | style="background-color:#FFE6E6; color:#3366CC;" | FFE6E6 | style="background-color:#FF8888;" | FF8888 | style="background-color:#FF6060; color:#000;" | FF6060 | style="background-color:#B60000; color:#FFF;" | B60000 |
| scope="row" | Orange
| 30° | FF8000 | style="background-color:#FF8000" | | style="background-color:#FFE8D0; color:#3366CC;" | FFE8D0 | style="background-color:#FF8E1C;" | FF8E1C | style="background-color:#E97500; color:#000;" | E97500 | style="background-color:#8C4600; color:#FFF;" | 8C4600 |
| scope="row" | Yellow
| 60° | FFFF00 | style="background-color:#FFFF00" | | style="background-color:#F3F300; color:#3366CC;" | F3F300 | style="background-color:#B1B100;" | B1B100 | style="background-color:#9B9B00; color:#000;" | 9B9B00 | style="background-color:#5C5C00; color:#FFF;" | 5C5C00 |
| scope="row" | Chartreuse
| 90° | 80FF00 | style="background-color:#80FF00" | | style="background-color:#B9FF72; color:#3366CC;" | B9FF72 | style="background-color:#61C100;" | 61C100 | style="background-color:#54A900; color:#000;" | 54A900 | style="background-color:#326500; color:#FFF;" | 326500 |
| scope="row" | Green
| 120° | 00FF00 | style="background-color:#00FF00" | | style="background-color:#ABFFAB; color:#3366CC;" | ABFFAB | style="background-color:#00C700;" | 00C700 | style="background-color:#00AE00; color:#000;" | 00AE00 | style="background-color:#006800; color:#FFF;" | 006800 |
| scope="row" | Spring green
| 150° | 00FF80 | style="background-color:#00FF80" | | style="background-color:#9DFFCE; color:#3366CC;" | 9DFFCE | style="background-color:#00C563;" | 00C563 | style="background-color:#00AC56; color:#000;" | #00AC56 | style="background-color:#006733; color:#FFF;" | 006733 |
| scope="row" | Cyan
| 180° | 00FFFF | style="background-color:#00FFFF" | | style="background-color:#7DFFFF; color:#3366CC;" | 7DFFFF | style="background-color:#00BFBF;" | 00BFBF | style="background-color:#00A6A6; color:#000;" | 00A6A6 | style="background-color:#006363; color:#FFF;" | 006363 |
| scope="row" | Azure
| 210° | 0080FF | style="background-color:#0080FF" | | style="background-color:#DCEEFF; color:#3366CC;" | DCEEFF | style="background-color:#60B0FF;" | 60B0FF | style="background-color:#3098FF; color:#000;" | 3098FF | style="background-color:#0057AF; color:#FFF;" | 0057AF |
| scope="row" | Blue
| 240° | 0000FF | style="background-color:#0000FF" | | style="background-color:#EAEAFF; color:#3366CC;" | EAEAFF | style="background-color:#A2A2FF;" | A2A2FF | style="background-color:#8888FF; color:#000;" | 8888FF | style="background-color:#3030FF; color:#FFF;" | 3030FF |
| scope="row" | Violet
| 270° | 8000FF | style="background-color:#8000FF" | | style="background-color:#F3E7FF; color:#3366CC;" | F3E7FF | style="background-color:#C994FF;" | C994FF | style="background-color:#B974FF; color:#000;" | B974FF | style="background-color:#7600EC; color:#FFF;" | 7600EC |
| scope="row" | Magenta
| 300° | FF00FF | style="background-color:#FF00FF" | | style="background-color:#FFE3FF; color:#3366CC;" | FFE3FF | style="background-color:#FF73FF;" | FF73FF | style="background-color:#FF29FF; color:#000;" | FF29FF | style="background-color:#9F009F; color:#FFF;" | 9F009F |
| scope="row" | Rose
| 330° | FF0080 | style="background-color:#FF0080" | | style="background-color:#FFE4F1; color:#3366CC;" | FFE4F1 | style="background-color:#FF81C0;" | FF81C0 | style="background-color:#FF52A8; color:#000;" | FF52A8 | style="background-color:#B00058; color:#FFF;" | B00058 |
| scope="row" | Grey
| — | 808080 | style="background-color:#808080" | | style="background-color:#EBEBEB; color:#3366CC;" | EBEBEB | style="background-color:#ABABAB;" | ABABAB | style="background-color:#959595; color:#000;" | 959595 | style="background-color:#595959; color:#FFF;" | 595959 |
Web colors
= Named web colors =
The following web colors are supported by all major browsers since 2005.
WCAG AA with text and blue links:
{{plainlist}}
- White
- Ivory
- MintCream
- Azure
- Snow
- Honeydew
- FloralWhite
- GhostWhite
- AliceBlue
- Seashell
- OldLace
- WhiteSmoke
- LavenderBlush
- Beige
- Linen
- AntiqueWhite
- LightYellow
- LemonChiffon
- LightGoldenrodYellow
- PapayaWhip
- Cornsilk
- BlanchedAlmond
- LightCyan
- Yellow
{{endplainlist}}
WCAG AAA with white text
{{plainlist}}
- Black
- DarkSlateGray
- Navy
- DarkBlue
- MidnightBlue
- MediumBlue
- Blue
- Indigo
- Purple
- DarkSlateBlue
- DarkMagenta
- DarkRed
- Maroon
- SaddleBrown
- Brown
- DarkGreen
{{endplainlist}}
WCAG AA with white text
{{plainlist}}
- DimGray
- MediumVioletRed
- Firebrick
- Crimson
- DarkOliveGreen
- Green
- Teal
{{endplainlist}}
= Shorthand web colors =
Many of these web colors are used as background colors for table cell templates, particularly in the yellow-green-cyan hue range. For the blue-magenta-red range, some of these templates use slightly darker colors to achieve slightly more intense colorfulness in specific cases.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ WCAG AAA with unvisited links |
| style="background:#FEF; color:#3366CC;" rowspan="5" | {{Tooltip|FEF|Pale purple}}
| style="background:#FFE; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FFE|Ivory}} | style="background:#EFD; color:#3366CC;" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | EFD | style="background:#EFE; color:#3366CC;" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | {{Tooltip|EFE|Honeydew}} | style="background:#DFE; color:#3366CC;" | DFE | style="background:#EFF; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|EFF|Azure}} |
| style="background:#FFD; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FFD|Light yellow}}
| style="background:#CFE; color:#3366CC;" | CFE | style="background:#DFF; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|DFF|Light cyan}} |
| style="background:#FFC; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FFC|Cream}}
| style="background:#EFC; color:#3366CC;" colspan="2" | EFC | style="background:#DFC; color:#3366CC;" | DFC | style="background:#DFD; color:#3366CC;" | DFD | style="background:#BFE; color:#3366CC;" | BFE | style="background:#CFF; color:#3366CC;" | CFF |
| style="background:#FFB; color:#3366CC;" | FFB
| style="background:#EFB; color:#3366CC;" | EFB | style="background:#DFB; color:#3366CC;" | DFB | style="background:#CFB; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|CFB|Tea green}} | style="background:#CFC; color:#3366CC;" rowspan="2" | CFC | style="background:#CFD; color:#3366CC;" | CFD | style="background:#BFF; color:#3366CC;" | BFF |
| style="background:#FFA; color:#3366CC;" | FFA
| style="background:#EFA; color:#3366CC;" | EFA | style="background:#DFA; color:#3366CC;" | DFA | style="background:#CFA; color:#3366CC;" | CFA | style="background:#BFD; color:#3366CC;" | BFD | style="background:#AFF; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|AFF|Celeste}} |
| style="background:#FEE; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FEE|Seashell}}
| style="background:#FF9; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FF9|Canary}} | style="background:#EF9; color:#3366CC;" | EF9 | style="background:#DF9; color:#3366CC;" | DF9 | style="background:#CF9; color:#3366CC;" | CF9 | style="background:#BFB; color:#3366CC;" rowspan="6" | {{Tooltip|BFB|Pale green}} | style="background:#BFC; color:#3366CC;" | BFC | style="background:#9FF; color:#3366CC;" rowspan="9" | 9FF |
| style="background:#FED; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FED|Papaya whip}}
| style="background:#FF8; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FF8|Pastel yellow}} | style="background:#EF8; color:#3366CC;" | EF8 | style="background:#DF8; color:#3366CC;" | DF8 | style="background:#CF8; color:#3366CC;" | CF8 | style="background:#AFC; color:#3366CC;" rowspan="5" | AFC |
| style="background:#FEC; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FEC|Blanched almond}}
| style="background:#FF7; color:#3366CC;" | FF7 | style="background:#EF7; color:#3366CC;" | EF7 | style="background:#DF7; color:#3366CC;" | DF7 | style="background:#CF7; color:#3366CC;" | CF7 |
| style="background:#FEB; color:#3366CC;" | FEB
| style="background:#FF6; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FF6|Laser lemon}} | style="background:#EF6; color:#3366CC;" | EF6 | style="background:#DF6; color:#3366CC;" | DF6 | style="background:#CF6; color:#3366CC;" | CF6 |
| style="background:#FEA; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FEA|Peach}}
| style="background:#FF5; color:#3366CC;" | FF5 | style="background:#EF5; color:#3366CC;" | EF5 | style="background:#DF5; color:#3366CC;" | DF5 | style="background:#CF5; color:#3366CC;" | CF5 |
| style="background:#FE9; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FE9|Light goldenrod}}
| style="background:#FF4; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FF4|Maximum yellow}} | style="background:#EF4; color:#3366CC;" | EF4 | style="background:#DF4; color:#3366CC;" | DF4 | style="background:#CF4; color:#3366CC;" | CF4 |
| style="background:#FE8; color:#3366CC;" | FE8
| style="background:#FF3; color:#3366CC;" | FF3 | style="background:#EF3; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|EF3|Luis lemon}} | style="background:#DF3; color:#3366CC;" | DF3 | style="background:#CF3; color:#3366CC;" | CF3 | style="background:#BFA; color:#3366CC;" | BFA | style="background:#AFD; color:#3366CC;" | AFD |
| style="background:#FE7; color:#3366CC;" | FE7
| style="background:#FF2; color:#3366CC;" | FF2 | style="background:#EF2; color:#3366CC;" | EF2 | style="background:#DF2; color:#3366CC;" | DF2 | style="background:#CF2; color:#3366CC;" | CF2 | style="background:#BF9; color:#3366CC;" | BF9 | style="background:#AFE; color:#3366CC;" | AFE |
| style="background:#FE6; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FE6|Maize}}
| style="background:#FF1; color:#3366CC;" | FF1 | style="background:#EF1; color:#3366CC;" | EF1 | style="background:#DF1; color:#3366CC;" | DF1 | style="background:#CF1; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|CF1|Arctic lime}} | style="background:#BF8; color:#3366CC;" | BF8 | style="background:#9FE; color:#3366CC;" | 9FE |
| style="background:#FE5; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FE5|Lemon yellow}}
| style="background:#FF0; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|FF0|Yellow}} | style="background:#EF0; color:#3366CC;" | EF0 | style="background:#DF0; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|DF0|Chartreuse}} | style="background:#CF0; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|CF0|Electric lime}} | style="background:#BF7; color:#3366CC;" | BF7 | style="background:#9FD; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|9FD|Aquamarine}} | style="background:#8FF; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|8FF|Electric blue}} |
| style="background:#EEC; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|EEC|Eggshell}}
| style="background:#EED; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|EED|Beige}} | style="background:#EEE; color:#3366CC;" colspan="4" | {{Tooltip|EEE|White smoke}} | style="background:#EEF; color:#3366CC;" | {{Tooltip|EEF|Alice blue}} | style="background:#DEF; color:#3366CC;" | DEF |
Categorical palettes
The pastel 2 Brewer qualitative palette can be slightly lightened (in HSL color space) to become WCAG AAA compatible with unvisited links, resulting in the following colors:
{{plainlist}}
- D9F1E6
- FEE7D6
- E7ECF4
- FAE6F2
- E6F5C9
- FFF2AE
- F5EAD9
- EBEBEB
{{endplainlist}}
To use this palette easily, see {{tl|CellCategory}} and {{tl|CategoryBgColor}}.
See also
References
{{reflist}}