I · ON-SCREEN TEXT
Text contrast
Whether your words survive the brightest frame behind them.
By Thomas Linck, founder · Updated June 2026
Text contrast is the contrast ratio between on-screen text and whatever sits directly behind it. WCAG accessibility guidelines set the minimum at 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Video backgrounds move, so the ratio has to hold on the worst frame, not the best one.
WHY IT MATTERS
White text reads perfectly over a dark hoodie, then the camera pans to a bright window and the same line vanishes. Contrast is not a property of the text — it is the relationship with whatever sits behind it, and in video that background moves. An outline, a drop shadow or a scrim band behind the text makes the ratio hold whatever the shot does.
TARGET · STANDARD
| Normal text | ≥ 4.5:1 | WCAG minimum |
| Large text | ≥ 3:1 | WCAG minimum |
| Fix | outline / shadow / scrim | holds on the worst frame |
How CutScore measures it
CutScore checks every title and caption against the footage directly behind it, frame by frame, and flags the exact moments the ratio drops below readable — so a bright pan cannot quietly eat your words. Targets follow the WCAG contrast minimum.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked.
At least 4.5:1 against the background for normal text and 3:1 for large text, per WCAG. Because video backgrounds change, the ratio has to hold on the brightest, busiest frame the text sits over.
Stop relying on the text color alone. Add a heavy outline, a drop shadow, or a scrim band behind the words — the contrast then stays constant no matter what the footage does behind it.