Color Contrast Calculator
This calculator will determine whether two colors you are thinking of using on your slides have enough contrast to be seen clearly by the audience.  The calculations are based on international standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).  There are two tests, a color brightness test and a color difference test.  Both tests should be passed in order to ensure that the colors you are using on your slides will be easily seen.

How To Use the Calculator
In the form below, enter the background color red, green and blue attributes and the text color red, green and blue attributes.  The text color could also be a color you are considering for lines or shapes on the slide.  You can find the red, green and blue attributes of a color by clicking on the Custom tab when you are picking colors (click here to view a PDF file with detailed instructions in a new browser window).  As you change the attributes, you will see the sample automatically update.  When you are done, click the Check Color Contrast button and you will see the results of the tests.  The results give you a Pass or Fail rating as well as the value of that test so that you can compare it to the standard.

Enter Background Color Attributes: Red: Green: Blue:

Enter Text Color Attributes: Red: Green: Blue:

Sample Text

Passed Brightness Test (>125)? Passed Color Test (>500)?

Test failed? Click here for suggestions.

Now that you have found colors that work, check out the next steps to make sure your presentation looks professional:

1. Learn how to create a custom look for your slides.  Click here to get my ebook Create Your Own PowerPoint Template.
2. Break free from text slide boredom and use visuals instead.  Click here to get my Transforming Text Slides into Visual Slides ebook.
3. Discover strategies for presenting your data to executives so they'll "get it" and act immediately. Click here for my Presenting Data to Executives ebook.