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What contrast should a focus line keep so highlight color stays apart from grey context at 3 to 1?

A focus line fails when highlight color and grey context sit too close in lightness, even if the hues differ. Aim for about 3 to 1 between text and the ground, and a clear step between neighboring series. The palettes page shows sets built for that, and the studio is where you apply one set instead of picking colors one by one.

At a glance

Lightness before hueTwo series in a focus line can share a hue family if their lightness differs.…
Palettes before the canvasOpen palettes, pick a set that already separates highlight color from grey…
Grey for the quiet seriesIf the focus line has one series that is only context, paint it grey and keep…
Twelve hues is a warning — highlight-vs-grey-lineA categorical focus line that needs more colors than you can name will not…

Pick the palette before you open the studio. For a focus line, keep text near 3 to 1 against the ground and keep highlight color clearly lighter or darker than grey context. A rainbow that fails that step will still fail after you add a legend.

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Pick the palette before you open the studio. For a focus line, keep text near 3 to 1 against the ground and keep highlight color clearly lighter or darker than grey context. A rainbow that fails that step will still fail after you add a legend.

Lightness before hue

Two series in a focus line can share a hue family if their lightness differs. highlight color against grey context at about 3 to 1 is easier to see on a projector than a pair of bright colors with the same weight.

Palettes before the canvas

Open palettes, pick a set that already separates highlight color from grey context, then carry it into the studio. Building the focus line with ad-hoc clicks rarely hits 3 to 1 on every label.

Grey for the quiet series

If the focus line has one series that is only context, paint it grey and keep the highlight for highlight color. Do not spend the 3 to 1 step on two categories that are both shouting.

Twelve hues is a warning — highlight-vs-grey-line

A categorical focus line that needs more colors than you can name will not hold 3 to 1 between neighbors. Split it or switch form before the studio. The palette is not a rainbow picker.

This page is a contrast check for a focus line near 3 to 1. It does not recolor the studio for you and it does not replace a full accessibility audit.

Questions

Is 3 to 1 a studio setting for the focus line?
Treat it as a check you do with the palette, not as a slider that fixes a bad pair. If highlight color and grey context still blend, change the set before you draw the focus line.
Will a color-blind viewer read the focus line?
Only if the palette does not rely on red versus green alone. A lightness step near 3 to 1, plus a direct label, carries the focus line when hue fails.
Should the studio invent colors for the focus line?
No. Bring a palette that already separates highlight color from grey context. The studio applies it. Random picks will miss 3 to 1 on a projector.

Compare palettes · Open the studio

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