1.4.5 Images of Text: 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.
Note: Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.
SC 1.4.5 Images of Text supports the principle of Perceivable because people who have limited vision or limited cognitive abilities may need to modify the format of the text presentation to be able to discern it. Using images of text is strongly discouraged because they can be difficult for some to read visually, require inclusion of text alternatives for people without vision, and they are not easily presentable in a different way to aid in comprehension.
SC 1.4.5 encourages authors to present information as text whenever possible rather than using an image of text. It is intended to help users who need text displayed in a particular font size, foreground and background color, font family, line spacing, or alignment.
This does not apply to text that is considered essential. Essential text is part of a logo or branding, and text that is part of picture that contains significant other visual content (such as graphs, diagrams, and screenshots).
If an image of text is used, a method must be provided to allow users to select an alternate presentation that replaces the text images with text.
Impact of Nonconformance with SC 1.4.5 Images of Text
| Type of Disability | Description of Impact |
|---|---|
| 302.1 Without Vision | Users who are blind cannot use a mouse to interact with electronic content and typically use an assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to get audible or other alternative output for the information represented visually. To be able to navigate the content, understand its structure and relationships, and understand the meaning of content represented in graphics and images, the content must provide textual and programmatic cues in addition to the content presented purely visually. |
| 302.2 With Limited Vision | Users with limited vision may have widely different visual perception. Individuals with limited vision may or may not use assistive technologies. Therefore, in addition to textual and programmatic cues necessary for assistive technologies, ICT must also present content consistently and predictably. Users who view content with magnifiers may not pick up alerts, warnings, or other content if such content is presented outside of a consistent and predictable navigation pattern or if the content is not itself viewable at large magnification. Content that becomes distorted when magnified can also prevent some users with limited vision from being able to understand or interact with the content. |
| 302.3 Without Perception of Color | Some users may not be able to perceive differences between certain colors, and therefore do not receive information conveyed by the colors (e.g., using gradients of color between red, yellow, and green to indicate an item’s status from poor to good). In such cases, ICT must provide additional information by alternative means that conveys the same meaning (e.g., shapes and/or textual labels in addition to the color). |
| 302.9 With Limited Language, Cognitive, and Learning Abilities | Some users require more time than average to process information while others may find complicated instructions difficult to follow. Furthermore, some ICT content can distract or overwhelm users, preventing them from being able to interact with or understand other ICT content. Designers and developers of ICT must consider a broad range of cognitive abilities in order to provide ICT that is simple and easy to use. |
Applicability of Success Criteria 1.4.5 Images of Text
| Technology | Applicability of SC 1.4.5 |
|---|---|
| Web | Applies directly; Web developers can typically use CSS styles to achieve the same or very similar presentation effects of text in images. In rare cases where it is not possible to achieve the same effect, then developers must provide functionality (typically via server- or client-side scripting) to modify the image(s) to meet user requirements. |
| Software | Applies directly; software developers often have a wide range of possible presentation effects for text content and text presented in controls. In those cases where it is not possible to achieve the necessary effect, then developers must provide functionality to modify the image(s) of text to meet user requirements. |
| Office documents | Applies directly; without significant customization and/or added code, it is typically not possible to provide functionality to Office users to modify the presentation of images of text. Therefore, authors would generally be required to provide text instead of images of text. |
| PDF documents | Applies directly; without significant customization and/or added code, it is typically not possible to provide functionality to PDF users to modify the presentation of images of text. Therefore, authors would generally be required to provide text instead of images of text. |
| Mobile native | Applies directly; mobile-native software developers often have a wide range of possible presentation effects for text content and text presented in controls. In those cases where it is not possible to achieve the necessary effect, then developers must provide functionality to modify the image(s) of text to meet user requirements. |