#1156: WG Revision: CSS Color Adjust Level 1

Visit on Github.

Opened Oct 6, 2025

Specification

https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-adjust-1/

Explainer

There is no explainer for the full spec that I am aware of, but there is one for forced colors mode (https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/Accessibility/HighContrast/explainer.md) which is currently out of date but does get across the main motivation and functionality.

Links

Feature 1:

  • Previous early design review, if any: N/A
  • An introduction to the feature, aimed at unfamiliar audiences: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/11824
  • A description of the problems that end-users were facing before this proposal: This feature does not impact end users, but allows implementors to test forced colors mode within the WPT test suite. The main way to trigger forced colors mode is through the Windows contrast theme system setting. In order to emulate this feature for testing purposes, webdriver support was added to the spec.
  • Alternatives considered: N/A
  • Examples of how to use the proposal to solve the end-users' problems: N/A
  • What do the end-users experience with this proposal: N/A
  • User research you did to validate the problem and/or design, if any: N/A
  • Web Platform Tests: N/A (there are wpt tests for forced colors mode, but they have yet to be updated to use the new web driver API)

Feature 2:

  • Previous early design review, if any: N/A
  • An introduction to the feature, aimed at unfamiliar audiences: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/8064
  • A description of the problems that end-users were facing before this proposal: Foreground and background colors for text on the page was updated to guarantee the user's preferred color contrast in forced colors mode, but emojis did not honor these colors, creating less overall contrast. The proposal was to force emojis to their monochrome variant in forced colors mode if available to guarantee the same level of contrast with other text on the page.
  • Alternatives considered: Leaving emojis as they are rendered without forced colors mode.
  • Examples of how to use the proposal to solve the end-users' problems: This happens automatically, but can be opted out by an author using forced-color-adjust: none
  • What do the end-users experience with this proposal: The second set of emojis depicted in https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/8064#issue-1445817393
  • User research you did to validate the problem and/or design, if any: This was proposed based on user feedback to forced colors mode, and matches how EdgeHTML used to render emojis in high contrast mode.
  • Web Platform Tests: This is being implemented in Chromium, but hasn't landed yet. WPTs will be added along with this work.

NOTE: all other edits were minor and well described in the changes link.

The specification

Where and by whom is the work is being done?

  • GitHub repo: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts
  • Primary contacts:
    • Alison Maher (@alisonmaher), Microsoft
    • Elika Etemad (@fantasai), Apple
    • Tab Atkins Jr (@tabatkins), Google
  • Organization/project driving the specification: See above
  • This work is being funded by: See above
  • Primary standards group developing this feature: CSSWG
  • Incubation and standards groups that have discussed the design: N/A

Feedback so far

  • Active horizontal reviews: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/12815
  • Multi-stakeholder feedback: N/A
  • Major unresolved issues with or opposition to this specification: N/A, but as noted above, there was one recent PR that landed that is an editorial clarification based on implementor feedback that I will try to incorporate into the republished CRS, as well (https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/pull/12892/files)
  • Status/issue trackers for implementations: Most of the updates are related to forced colors mode, which are not relevant to Webkit.

For the Forced Colors Mode Webdriver Change:

For the Forced Colors Mode Emoji Change:

All other changes did not require implementor updates.

You should also know that...

We are looking to republish CRS for CSS Color Adjust 1 with the updates mentioned above in the next month or so. As such, we would appreciate review by 11/5/2025

<!-- Content below this is maintained by @w3c-tag-bot -->

Track conversations at https://tag-github-bot.w3.org/gh/w3ctag/design-reviews/1156

Discussions

Log in to see TAG-private discussions.

Discussed Oct 13, 2025 (See Github)

Xiaocheng: This is just about reviewing the changes after the spec has reached CRD. I listed the changes in the private thread. All of the changes look straightforward to me. I don't think there's anything contraversial here.

Matthew: Thanks for your comment - was helpful. I agree with your assessment.

Hadley: Sounds like we can close as satisfied.

Xiaocheng: will do

Comment by @xiaochengh Oct 16, 2025 (See Github)

Hi @alisonmaher, the TAG discussed it at a breakout today and did not find anything of particular concerns in the list of changes. We are therefore closing it as satisfied.