The $600 dark mode audit that made my eyes hurt

I tested a deep navy on my portfolio site and thought it looked sleek. Then I used a free contrast checker at lunch and found my body text scored 3.2 to 1 against the background. I mean, the design probably wins awards in dim lighting but anyone on a phone outside in Phoenix can't read a thing. Has anyone else had a palette that looked great on screen but totally fails in real daylight?

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the_jason16d ago

Yeah, I know that punch in the gut when the contrast checker ruins your whole vibe. I had a slate gray on a portfolio that looked unreal on my monitor, then tested it in the car on a sunny day and could barely read my own name. Easiest fix I found was grabbing the WCAG contrast ratios from the start, and if you really love the dark navy, bump the body text weight or knock the background a few shades lighter until it hits at least 4.5 to 1.