Fwd: SUMMARY: colour contrast algorithm

With Dey's permission, I am forwarding this to the WCAG WG mailing list.


>Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 19:54:37 +1000
>From: Dey Alexander <dey.alexander@ITS.MONASH.EDU.AU>
>Subject: SUMMARY: colour contrast algorithm
>To: CHI-WEB@ACM.ORG
>
>I recently enquired about the validity of the colour contrast testing
>algorithm suggested by the W3C.  I didn't get any direct responses as to
>the validity of the algorithm. Instead, I was referred to other possible
>methods or to resources including tools that are based on the W3C algorithm.
>
>I contacted the W3C and was advised that they are now considering some
>alternatives--the Brewer Palette and a method suggested by Jim Thatcher
>(see below under "responses").  And just a couple of days ago, a
>colleague referred me to a paper that looked at the validity of the W3C
>algorithm.
>
>All useful responses/resources are provided below.
>
>My original post
>----------------
>
>The W3C's draft techniques document for Accessibility Evaluation and
>Repair Tools at http://www.w3.org/TR/AERT#color-contrast provides an
>algorithm for testing to see if text and background colours provide
>sufficient contrast.
>
>The document indicates, however, that the algorithm is a "suggested" one
>that is "still open to change". Can anyone shed any light on whether
>this should be considered as a reliable indicator of colour contrast, or
>whether some more authoritative/reliable algorithm exists?
>
>Responses
>---------
>
>Dick Penn wrote:
>
>I have developed a subjective test pattern which might be useful to you
>in dramatizing the effects. It's at
>http://positiveinteraction.com/TestPattern - I'd be interested to know
>whether people with unusual color vision perceive this pattern
>differently. Let me know if it needs any more explanation.
>
>Janine Purcell wrote:
>
>Fowler and Stanwick 1995 The GUI Style Guide p. 331.  They give values
>for a gray scale ruler, each gradation 10%.  For sufficient contrast the
>separation should be 30%.
>
>Gray                     RGB values
>10%                      26,26,26
>20%                      51,51,51
>30%                      79,79,79
>40%                      102, 102, 102
>50%                      128, 128, 128
>60%                      153, 153, 153
>70%                      181, 181, 181
>80%                      204, 204, 204
>90%                      232, 232, 232
>100% black               255, 255, 255
>
>Brewer palette:
>See Building Accessible Websites - Chapter 9: Type and Colour
>http://joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/Chapter09.html
>
>Thatcher method:
>"It is clear that good contrast occurs when two colors are close to
>complementary. 'Closeness' can be calculated as if the R G B colors are
>points in the three-dimensional space: Distance = ( (R1-R2) ^2 + (G1-G2)
>^2 + (B1-B2) ^2) ^1/2".
>See p. 93 in Chapter 4 (Creating Accessible Content) of "Constructing
>Accessible Web Sites".
>
>Resources
>---------
>
>Testing The Readability Of Web Page Colors
>(this paper uses the W3C algorithm)
>http://www.aprompt.ca/WebPageColors.html
>
>Visibility check application (beta, based on the W3C algorithm)
>http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/ColorVisibilityProgram.html
>
>Colour Contrast Analyser (based on the W3C algorithm)
>http://www.juicystudio.com/services/colourcontrast.asp
>
>Color contrast verification tool (based on the W3C algorith, but lowers
>the threshold for colour difference)
>http://h10014.www1.hp.com/accessibility/color_tool.html
>
>Colour contrast
>http://www.lighthouse.org/color_contrast.htm
>
>Colourblind web page filter
>http://colorfilter.wickline.org/
>
>Considering the colour blind
>http://webtechniques.com/archives/2000/08/newman/
>
>Colour tester
>http://www.tesspub.com/colours.html
>
>Vischeck
>http://www.vischeck.com/
>
>What do colourblind people see? (collection of java applets)
>http://www.tsi.enst.fr/~brettel/colourblindness.html
>
>
>Cheers,
>Dey
>
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-- 
wendy a chisholm
world wide web consortium
web accessibility initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
/--

Received on Thursday, 9 October 2003 19:21:18 UTC