Contrast Check: #999999 on #FFFFFF

Light gray (#999999) on White (#FFFFFF) — 2.85:1, fails all WCAG tiers.

At a glance

Contrast ratio
2.85:1
WCAG AA (normal text)
Fail
WCAG AA (large text)
Fail
WCAG AAA (normal text)
Fail
UI components / non-text
Fail

Light gray text on a white background is one of the most frequently checked combinations in web design. The measured WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio is 2.85:1. It fails WCAG AA for body text. You should darken the foreground or lighten the background before shipping. Below the AA threshold for normal text — readable to many designers under ideal conditions but inaccessible to anyone with low vision or in bright sunlight.

Frequently asked questions

Is #999999 on #FFFFFF accessible?
For WCAG 2.1 AA — the most common conformance target — the answer is no for normal-size body text. Normal text needs 4.5:1 and this combination measures 2.85:1. Large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold) needs only 3:1, so this combination still fails for headings and large UI labels. AAA conformance demands 7:1; this combination falls short of that bar.
Where is this combination commonly used?
Disabled buttons, ghost text, placeholders. Avoid for any meaningful information.
How is this ratio calculated?
WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio is (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05) where L1 and L2 are the relative luminances of the lighter and darker colors. Each channel is gamma-corrected (linearized) before applying coefficients 0.2126·R + 0.7152·G + 0.0722·B. The two formulas weight green most because the human eye is most sensitive to green wavelengths.
What if I need a higher ratio than 2.85:1?
Adjust either the foreground or background lightness in the calculator above. The Suggestions panel automatically computes the nearest passing color in each direction (lighter or darker) for AA and AAA targets.

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