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◑ Hue Shall Not Pass
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Articles on colour contrast & accessibility

Short, practical reads on contrast and accessibility. Every one links back to the tool.

  • Is grey text on white readable? Usually not — here's the line.

    The most common contrast failure on the web, and the exact hex values where grey stops being legible.

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  • What does a 4.5:1 contrast ratio actually look like?

    The magic number, made concrete: what passing, borderline and failing contrast actually look like.

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  • WCAG AA vs AAA: which one do you actually need?

    Two levels, very different bars. Which one is a requirement and which is a stretch goal.

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  • Contrast on buttons, icons and borders: the 3:1 rule nobody knows

    Contrast rules aren't just for text. The 3:1 requirement for UI elements that everyone forgets.

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  • Accessible colour palettes that don't look boring

    Passing WCAG doesn't mean beige. A repeatable method for palettes with contrast and personality.

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◑ Hue Shall Not Pass

Can people actually read this? A plain-English colour contrast checker.

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Made by Mark Thurman. © 2026 Hue Shall Not Pass. Contrast maths follow the WCAG 2.1 specification.

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