The short answer
Mid grey looks safe, but it is the weakest compromise for a mixed team. Grey and blond hair sit at 1.1 to 1.3:1, so the outline of the head disappears. Dark hair holds at 3.3:1. Of the twelve backgrounds we tried, only navy scored lower.
How each person comes out
Person | Hair | Outline contrast |
|---|---|---|
Lotte | long blond | 1.3:1 |
Malik | black, curly | 3.3:1 |
Jun | black | 3.4:1 |
Ingrid | short grey | 1.1:1 |
Pieter | grey, curly | 1.1:1 |
It happens because mid grey has about the same brightness as grey and blond hair, so there is nothing for the eye to separate.
When to use it
When the whole team has dark hair, or when you want a calm, photographic look and a softer edge is fine. It sits well next to black-and-white graphics and muted brand colours.
Watch out for
Grey hair, blond hair and light clothing. If your team is mixed, go lighter with light grey or white, or pick a soft gradient like Moonrise, where the weakest outline was still 1.6:1.
How to set it in Aaavatar
Put the team in one folder.
Open the folder menu and choose Default background…. Pick Color, click + and enter #A3A3A3.
Use folder background on N applies it to the portraits already in the folder. New photos in the folder get it automatically.
Choose Export set, pick Square, Circle or Rounded and a size: 512, 1024 or 2048 px.
Download the background
Mid grey, 2048 × 2048 px (PNG), for slides, email templates or anything outside Aaavatar.
How we tested
Five fictional people, framed to the same eye line and face size. For each portrait we measure the luminance contrast (the WCAG formula) between a thin band just inside and just outside the outline of the head, in the top half of the photo. Under 1.5:1 the outline starts to melt into the background; above 3:1 it stays crisp at any size. It is one simple measure on five people, not a lab study, but it matches what you see. The background is the exact colour you can set in Aaavatar.
See all twelve backgrounds side by side in the Background Lab.
