Question 1

Why a contrast matrix instead of a row of swatches?

Accepted Answer

Because accessibility is about pairs, not single colors. A swatch looks fine alone but fails the moment you put text on it. The matrix proves every text-on-surface combination you will actually use, so nothing slips through.

Question 2

What does "CVD-safe" enforce?

Accepted Answer

It checks that meaningful colors stay distinguishable under deuteranopia, protanopia and tritanopia using perceptual ΔE, and steers generated colors apart when they would collide. For charts it is the primary proof; for UI it guards your semantic colors.

Question 3

Is the contrast WCAG or APCA?

Accepted Answer

Pass/fail uses the normative WCAG 2.2 ratio. Toggle APCA to show the experimental Lc value alongside each cell for forward-looking comparison — it never overrides the WCAG verdict.

Question 4

Can I keep my exact brand color?

Accepted Answer

Yes — lock any swatch and it stays fixed while everything else regenerates around it. If a locked color makes the target unreachable, the tool tells you which lock to release rather than failing silently.

Accessible Palette