Color Picker & Converter: Frequently Asked Questions

Both use Hue and Saturation, but differ in the third dimension. HSL uses Lightness (0% = black, 100% = white, 50% = pure colour). HSV uses Value (0% = black, 100% = full brightness). HSL is more intuitive for design work; HSV is common in photo editing software.

WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). WCAG AAA requires 7:1 for normal text. Most professional interfaces target AA compliance as a minimum.

Yes. The tool accepts both 6-character (#6366F1) and 3-character (#63F) HEX codes. Three-character codes are expanded automatically — #63F becomes #6633FF.

Low contrast between text and background makes text difficult or impossible to read for people with low vision, colour blindness, or in bright outdoor lighting. WCAG contrast requirements are also increasingly part of legal accessibility compliance.

Shades are generated by keeping the hue and saturation constant while varying lightness from 10% to 90% in 10% steps. This is the same algorithm used by Tailwind CSS's colour scale generator.