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Text Readability

Learn about text readability principles

Introduction

Good text readability is critical for accessibility. Ensure text has sufficient contrast with the background.

Contrast

Good contrast — Dark text on light background or light text on dark background

Bad contrast — Light text on light background or dark text on dark background

Best Practices

Use contrast of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
Avoid overly bright or dark combinations
Test readability on different devices

Text Readability: Complete Guide to Accessibility and Reading Comfort

Text readability is a fundamental aspect of web content accessibility, determining how easily users can perceive and understand information. Poor readability not only degrades user experience but also violates WCAG accessibility standards.

In this detailed guide, we'll cover all factors affecting readability: contrast, font size, line height, font choice, and color combinations. You'll learn how to create text content accessible to all users.

You'll learn how to use проверка контраста to verify text contrast, apply проверка доступности текста to analyze text readability on images, and work with симулятор цветовой слепоты to test color combination accessibility.

Contrast: Foundation of Text Readability

Contrast between text and background is the most important readability factor. WCAG standards require minimum contrast of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold).

Dark text on light background or light text on dark background creates good contrast. Light text on light background or dark on dark — poor contrast, making text unreadable.

Contrast is calculated using the relative luminance formula. The проверка контраста tool automatically calculates contrast and verifies WCAG AA and AAA standards compliance, providing improvement recommendations.

Font Size and Line Height

Font size is critical for readability. Minimum recommended size for body text is 16px (1rem). Smaller sizes make reading difficult, especially on mobile devices.

Line height should be sufficient for comfortable reading. Recommended value is 1.5-1.6 of font size. Too small line height makes text cramped, too large — fragmented.

When working with text on images, it's important to consider not only overall contrast but also local contrast of each pixel. The проверка доступности текста tool analyzes text readability on any images, considering local contrast and providing detailed recommendations.

Best Practices and Testing

To ensure maximum readability, use contrast of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 7:1 for AAA level. Avoid overly bright or dark combinations that can cause eye fatigue.

Test readability on different devices, screen sizes, and lighting conditions. Consider various types of color blindness: use симулятор цветовой слепоты to check how your color combinations are perceived by people with color blindness.

When creating design systems, predefine color pairs for text and background that comply with WCAG standards. This ensures consistency and accessibility throughout the project.

Заключение

Text readability is not just aesthetics but a necessity for creating accessible and inclusive web content.

Proper contrast, font size, and line height make content accessible to all users, including people with visual impairments. Use modern tools to verify and improve readability in your projects.