Use of color

Color palette

When working with color, you must follow the brand guidelines created by DEA (Development and External Affairs).

have been designed with the color palette in mind. To ensure your content meets 51²è¹Ý's guidelines:

  • Use the features as provided. Do not use CSS to modify or override the default settings.
  • Leave text in its default state. Do not copy text from another software program, such as Microsoft Word or Dreamweaver, as a way to modify colors.

Color contrast

When pairing two colors together, such as backgrounds and foregrounds, the color combination must provide adequate contrast. This includes text, buttons, and headings.

Strong color contrast makes your content more readable. People with low vision, color blindness, or other visual impairments may have a difficult time interpreting your content if there is not enough contrast between background and foreground elements. Additionally, low contrast colors may be difficult to read in certain environments, such as low or bright light.

To ensure your elements have enough contrast, certain background / foreground color combinations should not be used together.

Adequate color contrast
Inadequate color contrast

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

This combination provides enough contrast.

This combination does not provide enough contrast.

Resources

(https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)

(https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/distinguishable)

Use of color to indicate status

Do not use color on its own to indicate status. For example, do not use a green icon to indicate success or a red border to indicate a warning. Color can be combined with other elements, such as iconography paired with text, to indicate status. Icons alone should not be used alone unless you are confident you have coded proper ARIA attributes with the icon.

Practical example

(image)

Resources

(https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/use-of-color.html)