100 Days of Posters / Day 027 of 100

Day 27: Can You Read It?

Colour contrast that everyone can see.

Chapter
03 Colour
Level
Beginner
Time
45–60 minutes
Canvas
1080 × 1350 px

The principle

Accessible colour means enough contrast between text and background for people with low vision, colour blindness or a bright phone screen in sunlight. The WCAG guidelines recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for small text and 3:1 for large text. Good contrast is not boring — it is a constraint that makes you smarter about colour.

Objective. Combine expressive colour with accessible text contrast.

The brief

Design a colourful poster for a public health clinic where every piece of text passes WCAG AA contrast.

Constraints

  • Check every text–background pair with a contrast checker
  • Small text at least 4.5:1; large text at least 3:1
  • At least three colours
  • Do not default to black on white

You're done when

  • All text passes the required contrast ratio
  • An expressive palette
  • Readable at a distance

Stretch goal

Test the poster with a deuteranopia simulator and adjust until it works there too.