Alchemist's Color Lab

Color Alchemy for Everyone

Brew clearer color combinations, uncover contrast problems, summon accessible palettes with the power of AI, and consult the ancient WCAG guide.

The Contrast Cauldron

Brew colors and check if they meet WCAG.

Choose your ingredients
I
Text or foreground

II
Surface or background

Potion potency

10.99 :1

Potion Master's Elixir

Excellent contrast for normal text.

Specimen preview

The moonwort blooms at midnight.

Readable text should remain clear without requiring perfect vision or ideal lighting.

The Palette Oracle

Conjure an accessible color palette.

Describe your brew

Describe the look you want. Add an anchor color only when needed.

The Codex

Explore WCAG color and contrast rules.

Normal text

Text needs 4.5:1 for AA and 7:1 for AAA.

WCAG 2.2 · 1.4.3 and 1.4.6

Large text

Large text needs 3:1 for AA and 4.5:1 for AAA.

18 pt regular or 14 pt bold

Controls and graphics

Meaningful controls and graphics need 3:1 against adjacent colors.

WCAG 2.2 · 1.4.11

More than color

Labels, icons, and text must support color so meaning is never color-only.

WCAG 2.2 · 1.4.1

Visible keyboard focus

Interactive controls keep a clear focus outline for keyboard navigation.

WCAG 2.2 · 2.4.7

Explore the official WCAG guidance

WCAG is the W3C standard for accessible web content, organized around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

Visit the W3C WCAG overview

About the lab

Welcome

Alchemist's Color Lab was created to make accessible color choices easier and more enjoyable. Use the Contrast Cauldron to test color pairs, repair weak contrast, and explore WCAG guidance. The Palette Oracle can also generate interface palettes that are checked before they appear.

About Me

Hi, I'm Jill Platts, a developer and educator who enjoys combining technology, accessibility, and design to create small, meaningful projects. This site is a personal project built to make inclusive color design feel clear, practical, and a little more magical.

Privacy policy

Overview

Alchemist's Color Lab is a color accessibility tool for checking contrast, repairing color pairs, and generating interface palettes. Your privacy is respected.

Data Collection

Color checks happen in your browser and don't collect personal information. When you use the Palette Oracle, your palette description is sent to the server and an AI service so the palette can be generated. Standard web analytics may also be used to understand general site usage.