Color Blindness Simulator
See how a color appears under 8 types of color vision deficiency.
See how a color appears under 8 types of color vision deficiency.
This free Color Blindness Simulator from KX Toolkit is part of our all-in-one online toolkit. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device for client-side operations. 100% free, forever - no paywall, no credit card, no trial.
How to use the Color Blindness Simulator
- Pick or paste your base color (HEX, RGB or HSL).
- Run the conversion or palette generation.
- Preview the result on light and dark backgrounds.
- Copy the values into your design tokens or CSS.
What you can do with the Color Blindness Simulator
- Build accessible palettes that pass WCAG contrast.
- Convert between color models for design vs code.
- Find harmonious palettes from a brand color.
- Audit existing screens for contrast issues.
Why use KX Toolkit's Color Blindness Simulator
- Browser-based: Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android - no install, no extension.
- Privacy-first: Client-side tools never upload your data; server-side tools delete files right after processing.
- Mobile-friendly: Full feature parity on phones and tablets - not a stripped-down view.
- Fast: Optimised for instant feedback. No artificial waiting screens, no email-gated downloads.
- One hub for everything: 300+ tools across SEO, text, image, PDF, code, color, calculators and more - skip switching between sites.
Tips for the best results
Always check text contrast at the actual font weight - large bold text only needs 3:1, while small body copy needs 4.5:1.
Related Color Tools
If you find this tool useful, explore the full Color Tools collection or browse our complete tool directory. KX Toolkit is built for marketers, developers, designers, students and anyone who needs a quick utility without signing up for yet another SaaS.
What types of color blindness can a simulator show me?
Most simulators cover the eight most common forms: protanopia and protanomaly (red weakness), deuteranopia and deuteranomaly (green weakness), tritanopia and tritanomaly (blue weakness), and achromatopsia and achromatomaly (full or partial color blindness). Together these cover roughly 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women globally, so testing against them is essential for inclusive design, especially for charts, status indicators, and call-to-action buttons.
Why does my red error and green success look identical to a color blind user?
Red and green are the most common confusion pair for the roughly 8 percent of users with red-green color blindness. Relying on color alone to communicate success versus error makes interfaces unusable for them. Always pair color with an icon, label, or distinct shape so the meaning is conveyed redundantly. The simulator helps you see exactly how your color choices appear to users with each type of color vision deficiency.
What is the most common type of color blindness?
Deuteranomaly, a mild form of green weakness, is by far the most common type, affecting roughly 5 percent of men. It causes greens and reds to appear more similar but does not eliminate color perception entirely. Protanomaly and protanopia together account for another 1 to 2 percent. Designing primarily for deuteranomaly will catch the largest portion of affected users, though testing all eight types ensures broader inclusivity.
How can I make data visualizations color blind friendly?
Use color blind safe palettes like ColorBrewer or Viridis, which are tested across vision deficiencies. Avoid red-green combinations and instead use blue-orange or purple-yellow contrasts. Add patterns, shapes, or direct labels in addition to color so the information is encoded redundantly. For categorical data, limit to four to six distinct colors and ensure each one has noticeably different lightness, since lightness differences survive most types of color blindness.
Does designing for color blindness affect users with normal vision?
Color blind friendly palettes generally look fine to users with normal vision and often improve clarity for everyone. Adding icons, labels, and patterns alongside color benefits users in low light, on poorly calibrated screens, or in printed contexts. Inclusive design is rarely a tradeoff, it usually raises overall quality. Testing through a color blindness simulator is one of the lowest-effort, highest-impact accessibility improvements you can make.
How accurate are color blindness simulators compared to real vision?
Simulators use mathematical models like Brettel, Vienot, or Machado to approximate how colors map for each deficiency type. They are accurate enough to catch most problematic combinations but cannot perfectly replicate any individual user's experience, since color blindness varies in severity. Use simulators as a strong design check, then complement them with real user testing where possible to validate that critical UI elements remain understandable.
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