What is Coblis?
Coblis, short for Color Blindness Simulator, is a tool designed to help marketers understand how their email content appears to individuals with
color blindness. This tool simulates various types of color blindness, allowing you to see your email as someone with a color vision deficiency would.
Why is Coblis Important in Email Marketing?
Ensuring
accessibility in email marketing is crucial for reaching a broader audience. Approximately 4.5% of the global population is color blind, making it essential to design emails that are inclusive. Coblis helps you identify potential issues in your color schemes and layouts, ensuring that your emails are
visually accessible to all recipients.
How Does Coblis Work?
Coblis works by allowing you to upload an image or screenshot of your email design. The tool then applies different color blindness filters to show how the design appears to individuals with various types of color vision deficiencies, such as
Protanopia,
Deuteranopia, and
Tritanopia.
Steps to Use Coblis for Email Marketing
Design your email content using your preferred
email marketing platform.
Take a screenshot of your email design.
Upload the screenshot to Coblis.
Select the type of color blindness you want to simulate.
Review the simulated images and identify any
design issues.
Make necessary adjustments to your email design to improve accessibility.
Common Issues Identified by Coblis
Using Coblis can help you identify several common issues in email design, such as: Poor color contrast that makes text hard to read.
Color combinations that are indistinguishable to color blind individuals.
Graphics or charts that rely solely on color to convey information.
Best Practices for Accessible Email Design
To create emails that are accessible to everyone, consider the following best practices: Use high contrast between text and background colors.
Avoid relying solely on color to convey important information; use
text labels and patterns as well.
Opt for text-based buttons instead of image-based ones, ensuring they remain visible if images are turned off.
Test your emails using tools like Coblis and
accessibility checkers to ensure they are inclusive.
Conclusion
Incorporating Coblis into your email marketing process is an excellent way to ensure that your content is accessible to all recipients, including those with color blindness. By understanding how your emails are viewed through the eyes of color blind individuals, you can make informed design choices that enhance
user experience and broaden your reach.