Color Blindness Simulator
See how any color appears to people with different types of color vision deficiency. Enter a hex color below to simulate all five vision types simultaneously.
Hex Color
#
Normal Vision
Full color perception
#008080
Best contrast: 4.77:1 vs white
AA ✓AA Lg ✓
Standard trichromatic vision with all three cone types functioning normally.
Protanopia
Red-blind · ~1% of men
#373980
Best contrast: 10.2:1 vs white
AA ✓AA Lg ✓
Missing L (long-wavelength) cones. Reds, oranges, and greens are difficult to distinguish.
Deuteranopia
Green-blind · ~1% of men
#302680
Best contrast: 12.25:1 vs white
AA ✓AA Lg ✓
Missing M (medium-wavelength) cones. The most common form — reds and greens look similar.
Tritanopia
Blue-blind · ~0.003% of people
#068080
Best contrast: 4.77:1 vs white
AA ✓AA Lg ✓
Missing S (short-wavelength) cones. Blues and greens are confused; yellows appear pink.
Achromatopsia
Total color blindness · ~0.003%
#5A5A5A
Best contrast: 6.9:1 vs white
AA ✓AA Lg ✓
Complete absence of color vision. Everything is perceived as shades of grey.
WCAG Contrast Check Across All Vision Types
AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text. Measured against white and black backgrounds.
Vision Type
Simulated
vs White
vs Black
AA Pass?
Normal Vision
Full color perception
4.77:1
4.4:1
Pass ✓
Protanopia
Red-blind · ~1% of men
10.2:1
2.06:1
Pass ✓
Deuteranopia
Green-blind · ~1% of men
12.25:1
1.71:1
Pass ✓
Tritanopia
Blue-blind · ~0.003% of people
4.77:1
4.41:1
Pass ✓
Achromatopsia
Total color blindness · ~0.003%
6.9:1
3.04:1
Pass ✓
What is Color Blindness?
What is color blindness?+
Color blindness (color vision deficiency) affects the ability to distinguish certain colors. It occurs when one or more types of cone cells in the retina are absent or don't function normally. It affects around 8% of men and 0.5% of women of Northern European descent.
What is Protanopia?+
Protanopia is caused by a lack of long-wavelength (red) cone cells. People with protanopia have difficulty distinguishing red from green, and red appears darker than normal. It affects roughly 1% of men.
What is Deuteranopia?+
Deuteranopia is the most common form, caused by missing medium-wavelength (green) cones. Reds and greens can look very similar. Together, deuteranopia and its milder form (deuteranomaly) affect about 6% of men.
What is Tritanopia?+
Tritanopia involves missing short-wavelength (blue) cones. Blues and greens become difficult to tell apart, and yellows may appear pinkish. It's rare, affecting only about 0.003% of people, and is equally common in men and women.
What is Achromatopsia?+
Achromatopsia (monochromacy) means seeing no color at all — only shades of grey. It's extremely rare (~0.003%) and is usually accompanied by high light sensitivity and reduced visual acuity.
Why does this matter for design?+
Approximately 300 million people worldwide have some form of color blindness. Designing with color blindness in mind ensures your UI, charts, maps, and content are accessible to all users. WCAG 2.1 recommends not relying on color alone to convey information.