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From: Robert Fentress
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 7:36AM
Subject: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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Anybody know of a tool or strategy for efficiently finding a link text
color that meets 3:1 contrast requirements relative to surrounding text
<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/G183.html>, while simultaneously
meeting the 4.5:1 contrast requirements for background
<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/G18.html>. The design team doesn't
want to add an underline to links (except on hover and focus), which, as I
interpret it, means that the colors used for those links need to have a
luminosity contrast ratio of 3:1 relative to the surrounding text, which is
set as black. The problem is that whatever color is chosen for that
purpose also needs to have a luminosity contrast ratio of 4.5:1 relative to
the background, which is a very light gray, #FAF4F3. I've tried the
palette recommended in their brand guidelines for combinations that might
work, but none of them do, so now I'm just kind of randomly flailing about
trying to find a color that works with one constraint, while not violating
the other. I darken, I lighten, I test, I rinse, I repeat, and so on.
There's gotta be a more efficient way. Keep in mind I'm trying to hew (or
hue--ouch!) as closely to the palette used on the rest of the site, so I
can't just have any old color. Ideas?

Best,
Rob

--
Rob Fentress
Senior Accessibility Solutions Designer
Assistive Technologies at Virginia Tech
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From: Joe Chidzik
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 7:43AM
Subject: Re: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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Not aware of one tool that does all you need, but I find the Tanaguru contrast finder incredibly useful at being given a failed contrast combination, and suggesting a number of conformant combinations by changing either the foreground background colour accordingly (and automatically).

I guess you could go through the list of compliant colour combinations it suggests with a colour picker to find a combination that meets your requirements for foregroundbackground, AND textlink text colours.

http://contrast-finder.tanaguru.com/

Of course, underlining links is desirable, but would they settle for bolding them instead if underlining is not an option? This would also satisfy the requirement.

Cheers
Joe

>

From: Robert Fentress
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 8:26AM
Subject: Re: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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Thanks, Joe. Maybe they would be more receptive to bolding. Good idea!

On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Joe Chidzik < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

> Not aware of one tool that does all you need, but I find the Tanaguru
> contrast finder incredibly useful at being given a failed contrast
> combination, and suggesting a number of conformant combinations by changing
> either the foreground background colour accordingly (and automatically).
>
> I guess you could go through the list of compliant colour combinations it
> suggests with a colour picker to find a combination that meets your
> requirements for foregroundbackground, AND textlink text colours.
>
> http://contrast-finder.tanaguru.com/
>
> Of course, underlining links is desirable, but would they settle for
> bolding them instead if underlining is not an option? This would also
> satisfy the requirement.
>
> Cheers
> Joe
>
> >

From: Karl Brown
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 9:18AM
Subject: Re: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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Would they be averse to switching the background and foreground colours on
the links?

On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 3:26 PM, Robert Fentress < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Thanks, Joe. Maybe they would be more receptive to bolding. Good idea!
>
> On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Joe Chidzik < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> >
> wrote:
>
> > Not aware of one tool that does all you need, but I find the Tanaguru
> > contrast finder incredibly useful at being given a failed contrast
> > combination, and suggesting a number of conformant combinations by
> changing
> > either the foreground background colour accordingly (and
> automatically).
> >
> > I guess you could go through the list of compliant colour combinations it
> > suggests with a colour picker to find a combination that meets your
> > requirements for foregroundbackground, AND textlink text colours.
> >
> > http://contrast-finder.tanaguru.com/
> >
> > Of course, underlining links is desirable, but would they settle for
> > bolding them instead if underlining is not an option? This would also
> > satisfy the requirement.
> >
> > Cheers
> > Joe
> >
> > >

From: Angela French
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 9:28AM
Subject: Re: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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I struggled with this (with my communications team) for almost two years but finally got them to let me style hyperlinks with a light-weight border-bottom.

From: Robert Fentress
Date: Wed, Oct 04 2017 10:06AM
Subject: Re: link color that meets contrast requirements relative to bg and surrounding text?
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Nope. Don't think that would work in the relevant context.

On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Karl Brown < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Would they be averse to switching the background and foreground colours on
> the links?
>
> On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 3:26 PM, Robert Fentress < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> > Thanks, Joe. Maybe they would be more receptive to bolding. Good idea!
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Joe Chidzik <
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Not aware of one tool that does all you need, but I find the Tanaguru
> > > contrast finder incredibly useful at being given a failed contrast
> > > combination, and suggesting a number of conformant combinations by
> > changing
> > > either the foreground background colour accordingly (and
> > automatically).
> > >
> > > I guess you could go through the list of compliant colour combinations
> it
> > > suggests with a colour picker to find a combination that meets your
> > > requirements for foregroundbackground, AND textlink text colours.
> > >
> > > http://contrast-finder.tanaguru.com/
> > >
> > > Of course, underlining links is desirable, but would they settle for
> > > bolding them instead if underlining is not an option? This would also
> > > satisfy the requirement.
> > >
> > > Cheers
> > > Joe
> > >
> > > >