Success Criterion 1.4.3
Conformance level AA
W3C reference F83

Text Placed Directly Over a Photo With No Solid Backing

1.4.3 — Contrast (Minimum)

Scenario

Setting

A real-estate marketplace's listing page

What’s wrong

Text sits directly on a background photo without a solid overlay — in parts of the image the text becomes unreadable.

Example

Watch a real-estate marketplace's listing page closely and you'll spot this: text sits directly on a background photo without a solid overlay — in parts of the image the text becomes unreadable.

Why it matters

Low-vision and older readers, plus anyone viewing a dim or sunlit screen. Here, on a real-estate marketplace's listing page, the result is they can't read the text against its background.

How to test

Use a contrast checker on text placed directly over a photo/background image with no solid overlay: check the lowest-contrast point across the image, not just one spot.

How to fix

Place a solid or scrim background behind text over images so contrast holds everywhere.

Outcome

After the fix, the same visitor to a real-estate marketplace's listing page can now read the text clearly against its background, specifically for the “Text Placed Directly Over a Photo With No Solid Backing” issue on a real-estate marketplace's listing page.

Who is affected

Low-vision and older readers, plus anyone viewing a dim or sunlit screen.

Learn more

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Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)