Color Picker Tool for Accessible Placeholder Images

Instantly choose and test background and text color combinations for wireframes, loading screens, and placeholder images. Check real-time WCAG contrast ratios and export perfect color codes for use in our API or any web project. Accessible colors make your design inclusive, memorable, and user-friendly.

Designer workspace with color palette and placeholder image card for web design

Interactive Color Picker: Try Accessible Color Combinations

Contrast Ratio: --
Placeholder Image Text
Adjust colors above to preview and copy accessible combinations for your next wireframe or loading screen.

Why Color & Contrast Matter in Placeholder Images

  • Accessible color pairs ensure all users—including those with low vision—can read your placeholders.
  • WCAG guidelines require a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for small text, 3:1 for large text.
  • Consistent color schemes reinforce brand identity in wireframes and loading screens.
  • Good contrast improves usability on both light and dark backgrounds, across devices.
Learn more about accessibility

See Your Colors in Action

Preview how your chosen background and text colors will appear on a real placeholder image. This helps you ensure high readability for users and keeps your design consistent across wireframes, loading screens, and onboarding flows.

  • Tip: Use this preview to check your brand’s colors for accessibility before using them in your UI mockups.
  • Internal link: More about color options
A realistic example of a placeholder card using accessible background and text color combinations for web design wireframes
Live API preview updates as you pick colors

Tips & Best Practices for Accessible Placeholder Image Colors

  • Use a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for small text (check above!)
  • Avoid pairing yellow, light green, or pale blue text with white backgrounds.
  • Test your colors in both light and dark environments—contrast may shift.
  • For branding, use your brand’s primary color as background and a high-contrast white or dark text.
  • Verify contrast for color blindness using online simulators.
  • Use the Features-Colors guide for more color customization.
  • Learn more about Accessibility Features and Web Design Use Cases.

How to Use Your Colors in the Placeholder Image API

Simply copy your color hex codes above and use them as ?bg= and &fg= parameters in your API call. Example:

/v1/600x300?bg=173559&fg=ffffff&text=Color+Picker&filetype=png
  • Replace bg= and fg= with your chosen hex codes (no # needed in the API!).
  • Use filetype=png for transparency, or filetype=jpg for smaller file size.
  • See the API Reference for full parameter options.
API Reference Documentation
api placeholder image with custom background and text colors||api placeholder, color picker, accessibility, web design#|#API-generated placeholder image with user-selected background and text colors#|#api-placeholder-color-picker-demo.png

Advanced Color & Accessibility Tips

  • Complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) offer strong contrast and vibrant design.
  • Analogous colors (side by side) provide harmony but may need extra contrast for accessibility.
  • Simulate color blindness using online tools to ensure your placeholders are readable for all users.
  • Automate accessibility testing with browser plugins or CI tools for large projects.
  • Test your design on both desktop and mobile to ensure color clarity everywhere.
Pro Tip: If in doubt, use dark text on a light background or vice versa—this maximizes contrast and is the easiest to read for most users.

FAQ: Color Picker & Accessible Placeholder Images

Color contrast ensures that everyone—including users with low vision or color blindness—can easily read text and perceive placeholders. Poor contrast can make content invisible or hard to use, especially on mobile devices or in bright environments. Following WCAG guidelines helps make your designs accessible to all.

Use our live color picker to test background and text combinations. Aim for at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for small text, or 3:1 for large text. Avoid using similar hues (like yellow on white) and always check the WCAG pass/fail indicator before using a color combo in your project.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) specify that text should have a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (small text) or 3:1 (large text, 18pt+). This helps users with visual impairments access your content. Our tool checks these ratios live as you pick your colors.

Yes! Use the color picker to select your brand’s hex codes and test their accessibility. If your brand colors have low contrast, pair them with a contrasting text color (like white or dark gray) to meet accessibility standards.

Copy the hex codes (without the # symbol) from the tool and use them as ?bg= and &fg= parameters in your API URL. For example: /v1/600x300?bg=173559&fg=fff&text=Hello&filetype=png. See our API Reference for all parameter options.

Avoid color pairs with low contrast, such as yellow on white, light blue on light gray, or red on green. These combinations are hard to read for many users, especially those with color vision deficiencies. Always check the live contrast ratio and WCAG status before publishing.

Use online color blindness simulators or browser plugins to preview how your colors appear to users with various forms of color vision deficiency. This helps ensure your placeholders remain readable and inclusive for everyone.

Explore More Resources