Brand Identity • How-to
Accessible Brand Colors: Simple Contrast Rules
You can have great brand colors and still have a readable website. The trick is using brand colors for emphasis and neutrals for structure—then testing your buttons and links.
The goal (simple)
Your site should be readable for everyone—especially on mobile, in bright light, and for users with low vision. You don’t need to memorize standards. You just need a few rules and a quick test habit.
4 contrast rules you can follow today
Rule 1: Use neutrals for body text
Brand colors can be hard to read for long paragraphs. Neutrals keep text readable everywhere.
Do
- Use dark neutral for text (e.g., near-black)
- Use light neutral for backgrounds
Avoid
- Using your primary color for long body paragraphs
Rule 2: Pick one “primary button” color and test it
Buttons need clear contrast so people can see the label and understand it’s clickable.
Do
- Use one main CTA color
- Ensure the button label is readable (usually white or near-black)
Avoid
- Using multiple CTA colors that confuse what to click
Rule 3: Don’t use light colors for important text
Light text on white/light backgrounds disappears for many users.
Do
- Reserve light colors for backgrounds, not text
- Use bold + size to emphasize, not just color
Avoid
- Light gray text on white backgrounds
Rule 4: “Accent” should be small, not everywhere
Accent colors are for highlights. Overusing accent colors makes the UI noisy and less readable.
Do
- Use accent for badges, small highlights, icons
- Keep most of the page neutral
Avoid
- Accent-colored paragraphs or large blocks of text
Quick checks (no tools needed)
If you only remember one thing: test your CTA button label readability on mobile.
Quick checklist
- Can you read your primary button label from arm’s length on a laptop screen?
- Does link text look like a link (contrast + underline/hover)?
- Does your “muted” text still look readable on mobile?
- If you switch the page to grayscale, can you still find the CTA?
Document your color rules (so they stick)
Add your “button color + label color,” link style, and neutral text colors to your brand guidelines. That prevents accidental readability issues later.