Simulate 8 forms of color vision deficiency (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, Monochromacy) on images and hex color palettes with side-by-side comparison slider.
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Select Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) Condition:
Sample Images:
Normal VisionTrichromatic (100%)
DeuteranopiaGreen-Blind (~1% M)
DeuteranomalyGreen-Weak (~6% M)
ProtanopiaRed-Blind (~1% L)
ProtanomalyRed-Weak (~1% L)
TritanopiaBlue-Blind (<0.1% S)
TritanomalyBlue-Weak (<0.05%)
AchromatopsiaMonochrome (0.003%)
ORIGINALDEUTERANOPIA (GREEN-BLIND)
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PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG
Test Custom Foreground & Background Color Contrast
Check how your brand colors and button text contrast look to people with various visual deficiencies.
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Text / Foreground:
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The Science of Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) and Human Photoreceptors
Normal human color vision is trichromatic, mediated by three distinct classes of retinal cone photoreceptor cells in the fovea centralis. Each cone class contains a specialized photopigment (photopsin protein) optimized to absorb specific wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum:
L-Cones (Long-wavelength / Erythrolabe): Peak spectral sensitivity around 560 nm (responsible for perceiving red).
M-Cones (Medium-wavelength / Chlorolabe): Peak spectral sensitivity around 530 nm (responsible for perceiving green).
S-Cones (Short-wavelength / Cyanolabe): Peak spectral sensitivity around 420 nm (responsible for perceiving blue).
When genetic mutations alter or delete the genes encoding these opsin proteins (located on the X chromosome for L and M opsins, and chromosome 7 for S opsins), the brain receives an overlapping or incomplete spectral signal, resulting in Color Vision Deficiency (CVD).
Statistical Prevalence Across Global Populations
Because the L and M cone genes reside on the X chromosome, red-green color blindness is an X-linked recessive trait. Consequently, it affects biological males at drastically higher rates than females:
Condition
Affected Cone
Male Prevalence
Female Prevalence
Perceptual Impact
Deuteranomaly
M-cone mutated (shifted)
~5.0%
~0.35%
Reduced sensitivity to green; yellows and greens appear washed out.
Deuteranopia
M-cone absent
~1.0%
~0.01%
Complete inability to distinguish greens from reds and browns.
Protanomaly
L-cone mutated (shifted)
~1.0%
~0.02%
Reduced sensitivity to red; deep reds appear dimmed or black.
Protanopia
L-cone absent
~1.0%
~0.02%
Complete loss of red brightness; reds appear dark grey or muddy brown.
Tritanopia / Tritanomaly
S-cone missing / mutated
<0.05%
<0.05%
Autosomal inheritance; blue-yellow confusion, blues appear greenish.
Achromatopsia
All cones non-functional
0.003%
0.003%
Total monochrome grayscale vision accompanied by extreme photophobia.
Designing for WCAG 2.1 Level AA & AAA Accessibility
To ensure digital experiences are accessible to the estimated 300 million people worldwide living with color vision deficiencies, web developers, UI/UX designers, and data scientists must adhere to rigorous design principles:
Never Rely on Color Alone (WCAG SC 1.4.1): Form validation errors must not simply turn input borders red; they must accompany an exclamation icon, descriptive text label, and ARIA alert role.
Contrast Ratios (WCAG SC 1.4.3): Normal body text must achieve a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background (7:1 for AAA). Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold) requires at least 3:1.
Infographics & Charts: In line charts and pie graphs, supplement color coding with direct line labeling, dashed versus solid strokes, geometric dot markers, and cross-hatch shading textures.
Frequently Asked Questions
This tool utilizes the widely cited Brettel-Vienot-Mollon and Machado color transformation matrices. These algorithms project RGB colors into LMS cone response space, project missing cone planes along neutral color axes, and re-encode the values into standard sRGB space.
Yes. Clicking "Download Simulated Image (PNG)" exports the transformed canvas directly as a lossless PNG graphic, making it easy to embed into Figma design audits, PR review tickets, and accessibility compliance reports.
While both are categorized as red-green color blindness, Protanopia is caused by missing L-cones (leading to a noticeable dimming where reds look dark or black), whereas Deuteranopia is caused by missing M-cones (where red brightness is retained, but reds, yellows, and greens merge into similar tan-khaki hues).
While digital Ishihara plates provide a convenient demonstration, clinical diagnosis requires calibrated printed plates viewed under standardized D65 daylight illumination or specialized anomaloscope equipment by a licensed optometrist.
No. All image pixel processing and matrix convolutions are computed entirely inside your browser's local memory sandbox via HTML5 Canvas. Zero data leaves your computer.