Images of Text
Tier 1 · The normative floor
Baseline compliance
What the normative text of WCAG 2.2 requires, and nothing more. Only a failure of this tier is a WCAG failure.
The bare minimum
If the technology can produce the visual presentation, real text is used instead of images of text. Exceptions: the image of text can be visually customized (font, size, color and background can be set), or a particular presentation is essential.
Normative text
Verbatim from WCAG 2.2, W3C Recommendation 12 December 2024. Underlined terms are defined below.
If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following:
- Customizable
- The image of text can be visually customized to the user's requirements;
- Essential
- A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed.
Not required by the normative text
Common claims that this criterion does not support. Don't log these as WCAG failures.
- Replacing logos. A W3C note says logotypes are considered essential.
Definitions used (4)
Glossary definitions are normative. Their notes are informative.
- text
-
sequence of characters that can be programmatically determined, where the sequence is expressing something in human language
- image of text
-
text that has been rendered in a non-text form (e.g., an image) in order to achieve a particular visual effect
Informative notes (1)
This does not include text that is part of a picture that contains significant other visual content.
- visually customized
-
the font, size, color, and background can be set
- essential
-
if removed, would fundamentally change the information or functionality of the content, and information and functionality cannot be achieved in another way that would conform
Notes in the criterion Informative
WCAG 2.2 lists notes among its informative material, which "does not create requirements that impact a conformance claim." They help interpret the criterion but are not part of the floor.
Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.
Tier 2 · The gap
Usability & user impact
Where content can meet this criterion and still make things harder for people with disabilities. These are not failures of SC 1.4.5, so raise them as usability defects. Known failures, including failures of related criteria, are listed in Tier 1.
Text baked into banners and social cards can't be resized, recolored or reflowed, and blurs when magnified.
Tier 3 · The golden path
Recommended best practice
The pattern that meets the floor, closes the gap, and avoids audit disputes. A recommendation, not a requirement.
Render text as live text over background images, using CSS for the visual treatment.
W3C's Understanding document and techniques for SC 1.4.5 ↗ are informative: sufficient techniques show ways to pass, and documented failures show common ways to fail, but neither changes what the criterion requires.
How SC 1.4.5 maps to the WCAG 3 draft
From this site's reviewed map to the WCAG 3 editor's draft. It's an interpretation: W3C has not published a mapping.
No provision in the current draft restricts images of text.
Related, not a successor
From WCAG 2.2, section 5.1: “The main content of WCAG 2.2 is normative and defines requirements that impact conformance claims. Introductory material, appendices, sections marked as "non-normative", diagrams, examples, and notes are informative (non-normative). Non-normative material provides advisory information to help interpret the guidelines but does not create requirements that impact a conformance claim.”