17
Total shades
in database
17
Pass AA on white
100% of shades
17
Pass AAA on white
100% of shades
0
Pass AA on black
0% of shades
WCAG AA Score
Shades passing 4.5:1 on white
17 of 17 Black shades achieve at least 4.5:1 contrast on white — the WCAG AA threshold for normal body text.
WCAG AAA Score
Shades passing 7:1 on white
17 of 17 Black shades exceed 7:1 — the WCAG AAA threshold required for enhanced accessibility.
Recommended Text Colors
When using a Black shade as a background, use these text colors for WCAG AA compliance.
White text works on:
Recommended Backgrounds
When using a Black shade as text color, these backgrounds provide WCAG AA compliance.
Automated Accessibility Validation — All Black Shades
| Color | Hex | On White | On Black | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite | #474747 | WCAG AAA9.3:1 | WCAG Fail2.3:1 | Text on white |
| Rich Black | #004040 | WCAG AAA11.6:1 | WCAG Fail1.8:1 | Text on white |
| Onyx | #353839 | WCAG AAA11.8:1 | WCAG Fail1.8:1 | Text on white |
| Jet Black | #343434 | WCAG AAA12.4:1 | WCAG Fail1.7:1 | Text on white |
| Dark Charcoal | #333333 | WCAG AAA12.6:1 | WCAG Fail1.7:1 | Text on white |
| Matte Black | #28282B | WCAG AAA14.7:1 | WCAG Fail1.4:1 | Text on white |
| Volcanic Black | #222222 | WCAG AAA15.9:1 | WCAG Fail1.3:1 | Text on white |
| Raisin Black | #242124 | WCAG AAA15.9:1 | WCAG Fail1.3:1 | Text on white |
| Midnight Black | #1C1C1C | WCAG AAA17.0:1 | WCAG Fail1.2:1 | Text on white |
| Eerie Black | #1B1B1B | WCAG AAA17.2:1 | WCAG Fail1.2:1 | Text on white |
| Obsidian | #1B1811 | WCAG AAA17.7:1 | WCAG Fail1.2:1 | Text on white |
| Licorice | #1A1110 | WCAG AAA18.6:1 | WCAG Fail1.1:1 | Text on white |
| Off Black | #0F0F0F | WCAG AAA19.2:1 | WCAG Fail1.1:1 | Text on white |
| Night Black | #0D0D0D | WCAG AAA19.4:1 | WCAG Fail1.1:1 | Text on white |
| Ink Black | #0C090A | WCAG AAA19.8:1 | WCAG Fail1.1:1 | Text on white |
| Space Black | #0A0A0A | WCAG AAA19.8:1 | WCAG Fail1.1:1 | Text on white |
| Black | #000000 | WCAG AAA21.0:1 | WCAG Fail1.0:1 | Text on white |
Accessibility Notes
- 1
Pure black (#000000) on white achieves 21:1 contrast — the highest possible value under WCAG.
- 2
Pure black can cause visual discomfort (halation) in bright environments for some readers; #1A1A1A or #111827 are softer alternatives that still pass AAA.
- 3
Black text on dark backgrounds has near-zero contrast — always verify black text is only used on light surfaces.
- 4
Black is fully accessible for all types of color vision deficiency; hue is irrelevant when one color is black.
- 5
For printed material, 100% K black should be used carefully — rich black (CMYK blend) may look different across monitors.
Design Examples
BUTTON COMPONENT
Graphite — #474747
DARK BACKGROUND CARD
Card heading
Graphite background with white text — 9.3:1 contrast.
Design Tips
- ✓
Prefer #1A1A1A or #111111 over pure #000000 for body text — softer black reduces eye strain on bright screens.
- ✓
Black on white (21:1) is WCAG AAA. Black on off-white (#F8F8F8) is 18.1:1 — still AAA.
- ✓
Dark mode: use near-white (#F1F5F9) text on near-black (#0F172A) background — same AAA outcome, less harsh.