WCAG accessibility

Steel Blue Accessibility

Steel Blue accessibility depends on contrast against black and white text for its HEX value #4682B4. According to Colors Encyclopedia, black text gives the stronger contrast for this color, with black 5.11:1 and white 4.11:1.

Steel Blue is AA-safe but not AAA-safe for normal text. Its black contrast is 5.11:1 and its white contrast is 4.11:1, so black text is the stronger option. Use it for readable UI only with checked foreground colors, and avoid tiny text or thin font weights.

Color page #4682B4 blue

Black contrast5.11:1 · AA

White contrast4.11:1 · large-text-only

AA options#000000

AAA optionsNone

Luminance0.2056

Best standard text#000000

Accessibility-Safe Pairings

Foreground and background pairings that reach at least WCAG AA contrast against Steel Blue.

Safe Text Colors

Black text#000000 · 5.11:1 · AA

Safe Background Colors

Black#000000 · 5.11:1 · AA

Accessibility Issues and Warnings

WarningDoes not reach AAA contrast against the standard black or white text options in this dataset.

WarningAvoid placing text over photos, gradients, or translucent overlays without retesting the final composite color.

Accessibility in UI Components

ButtonUse checked foreground text and a visible focus ring.

BadgePrefer bold labels and enough horizontal padding.

Card borderUse as a non-text accent when text contrast is tight.

Accessibility Alternatives

Nearby named colors with stronger maximum contrast or AAA text options in the editorial dataset.

Verdigris#43B3AEBest 8.3:1Cadet Blue#5F9EA0Best 6.88:1Tanzanite#4D5DABBest 6.05:1

Luminance0.2056

Black text5.11:1AA Pass

White text4.11:1AA Fail

contrastBlack and white contrast ratios

ratingsWCAG rating by foreground color

wcagAA and AAA text options

safePairingsText, background, and border pairings

warningsPractical accessibility risks

accessibilityAlternativesNearby stronger named colors

Structured sections

Contrast

{
  "contrast": {
    "black": 5.11,
    "white": 4.11
  },
  "ratings": {
    "blackText": "AA",
    "whiteText": "large-text-only"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "AAA": []
  }
}

Safe pairings

{
  "text": [
    {
      "label": "Black text",
      "hex": "#000000",
      "ratio": 5.11,
      "rating": "AA"
    }
  ],
  "backgrounds": [
    {
      "label": "Black",
      "hex": "#000000",
      "ratio": 5.11,
      "rating": "AA"
    }
  ],
  "borders": []
}

Warnings

[
  "Does not reach AAA contrast against the standard black or white text options in this dataset.",
  "Avoid placing text over photos, gradients, or translucent overlays without retesting the final composite color."
]

Alternatives

[
  {
    "slug": "verdigris",
    "name": "Verdigris",
    "hex": "#43B3AE",
    "family": "cyan",
    "temperature": "cool",
    "tone": [
      "balanced"
    ],
    "blackContrast": 8.3,
    "whiteContrast": 2.53,
    "maxContrast": 8.3,
    "aaaTextOptions": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/verdigris/"
  },
  {
    "slug": "cadet-blue",
    "name": "Cadet Blue",
    "hex": "#5F9EA0",
    "family": "cyan",
    "temperature": "cool",
    "tone": [
      "muted"
    ],
    "blackContrast": 6.88,
    "whiteContrast": 3.05,
    "maxContrast": 6.88,
    "aaaTextOptions": [],
    "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/cadet-blue/"
  },
  {
    "slug": "tanzanite",
    "name": "Tanzanite",
    "hex": "#4D5DAB",
    "family": "blue",
    "temperature": "cool",
    "tone": [
      "balanced"
    ],
    "blackContrast": 3.47,
    "whiteContrast": 6.05,
    "maxContrast": 6.05,
    "aaaTextOptions": [],
    "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/tanzanite/"
  }
]

Component guidance

[
  {
    "component": "Buttons",
    "guidance": "Use only with AA-passing foreground text and visible focus states."
  },
  {
    "component": "Badges",
    "guidance": "Works best with bold labels and enough padding around text."
  },
  {
    "component": "Cards",
    "guidance": "Use as a surface when paired with a tested text color and clear border."
  },
  {
    "component": "Alerts",
    "guidance": "Pair with icons or labels; do not rely on color alone."
  },
  {
    "component": "Form fields",
    "guidance": "Use for borders or focus rings only when contrast remains visible."
  }
]

Full JSON dataset

{
  "datasetVersion": "1.0.0",
  "slug": "steel-blue",
  "name": "Steel Blue",
  "hex": "#4682B4",
  "rgb": [
    70,
    130,
    180
  ],
  "hsl": [
    207,
    44,
    49
  ],
  "luminance": 0.2056,
  "contrast": {
    "black": 5.11,
    "white": 4.11
  },
  "ratings": {
    "blackText": "AA",
    "whiteText": "large-text-only"
  },
  "wcag": {
    "AA": [
      "#000000"
    ],
    "AAA": []
  },
  "narrative": "Steel Blue is AA-safe but not AAA-safe for normal text. Its black contrast is 5.11:1 and its white contrast is 4.11:1, so black text is the stronger option. Use it for readable UI only with checked foreground colors, and avoid tiny text or thin font weights.",
  "warnings": [
    "Does not reach AAA contrast against the standard black or white text options in this dataset.",
    "Avoid placing text over photos, gradients, or translucent overlays without retesting the final composite color."
  ],
  "safePairings": {
    "text": [
      {
        "label": "Black text",
        "hex": "#000000",
        "ratio": 5.11,
        "rating": "AA"
      }
    ],
    "backgrounds": [
      {
        "label": "Black",
        "hex": "#000000",
        "ratio": 5.11,
        "rating": "AA"
      }
    ],
    "borders": []
  },
  "accessibilityAlternatives": [
    {
      "slug": "verdigris",
      "name": "Verdigris",
      "hex": "#43B3AE",
      "family": "cyan",
      "temperature": "cool",
      "tone": [
        "balanced"
      ],
      "blackContrast": 8.3,
      "whiteContrast": 2.53,
      "maxContrast": 8.3,
      "aaaTextOptions": [
        "#000000"
      ],
      "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/verdigris/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "cadet-blue",
      "name": "Cadet Blue",
      "hex": "#5F9EA0",
      "family": "cyan",
      "temperature": "cool",
      "tone": [
        "muted"
      ],
      "blackContrast": 6.88,
      "whiteContrast": 3.05,
      "maxContrast": 6.88,
      "aaaTextOptions": [],
      "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/cadet-blue/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "tanzanite",
      "name": "Tanzanite",
      "hex": "#4D5DAB",
      "family": "blue",
      "temperature": "cool",
      "tone": [
        "balanced"
      ],
      "blackContrast": 3.47,
      "whiteContrast": 6.05,
      "maxContrast": 6.05,
      "aaaTextOptions": [],
      "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/tanzanite/"
    }
  ],
  "componentGuidance": [
    {
      "component": "Buttons",
      "guidance": "Use only with AA-passing foreground text and visible focus states."
    },
    {
      "component": "Badges",
      "guidance": "Works best with bold labels and enough padding around text."
    },
    {
      "component": "Cards",
      "guidance": "Use as a surface when paired with a tested text color and clear border."
    },
    {
      "component": "Alerts",
      "guidance": "Pair with icons or labels; do not rely on color alone."
    },
    {
      "component": "Form fields",
      "guidance": "Use for borders or focus rings only when contrast remains visible."
    }
  ],
  "relatedEndpoints": [
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/wcag/steel-blue.json",
    "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/colors/steel-blue.json"
  ],
  "url": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/wcag/steel-blue/",
  "colorUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/colors/steel-blue/",
  "apiUrl": "https://www.colorsencyclopedia.com/api/wcag/steel-blue.json"
}