Color Blindness Simulator

Approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women have some form of color vision deficiency (CVD). The most common types — deuteranopia (green-blind) and protanopia (red-blind) — reduce distinction between red and green hues, making traffic-light metaphors, error/success states, and chart legends confusing without additional visual cues. Tritanopia (blue-yellow blind) is rarer but affects aqua and orange discrimination.

Enter a color or upload a design screenshot, then toggle simulation modes to see the transformed result. The simulator applies scientifically published transformation matrices (Brettel, Viénot, and Mochado algorithms) that model how cone cells with missing or shifted sensitivity perceive wavelengths. Red and green that appear distinct to typical vision may merge into similar browns under deuteranopia simulation.

Designers use simulators during UI review to verify that status indicators do not rely on color alone. Pair red/green states with icons, labels, or patterns — a red error icon plus the word "Error" communicates regardless of CVD type. Data visualization teams check that chart series remain distinguishable when hues collapse toward similar tones.

Test your full palette from the palette generator under each simulation mode. Colors that pass contrast checking for typical vision may still fail CVD users if the foreground and background converge. The contrast checker combined with simulation provides a more complete accessibility picture.

Whether you are building a medical dashboard, designing a mobile game, or preparing an infographic for public distribution, color blindness simulation ensures your work communicates to the full audience — not just those with typical trichromatic vision.