diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index eb8e325..b93b15b 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 				"@types/leaflet": "^1.9.8",
 				"@types/object-hash": "^3.0.6",
 				"@types/simplemde": "^1.11.11",
+				"@types/wcag-contrast": "^3.0.3",
 				"a11y.css": "^5.3.0",
 				"c8": "^10.1.3",
 				"colord": "^2.9.3",
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@
 				"stimulus": "^3.2.2",
 				"tempstream": "^0.4.6",
 				"throttle-debounce": "^5.0.2",
-				"turndown": "^7.2.0"
+				"turndown": "^7.2.0",
+				"wcag-contrast": "^3.0.0"
 			},
 			"devDependencies": {
 				"@playwright/test": "1.54.1",
@@ -2044,6 +2046,12 @@
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/uuid/-/uuid-9.0.8.tgz",
 			"integrity": "sha512-jg+97EGIcY9AGHJJRaaPVgetKDsrTgbRjQ5Msgjh/DQKEFl0DtyRr/VCOyD1T2R1MNeWPK/u7JoGhlDZnKBAfA=="
 		},
+		"node_modules/@types/wcag-contrast": {
+			"version": "3.0.3",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/wcag-contrast/-/wcag-contrast-3.0.3.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-oprevfwJSLfpQK4KaWsRKJuNoebV76+xhmbXiWJGy+FkS34LpCgCMNIwRXWTb8xmmSxUE2ycFOYE7uyRVRm3LA==",
+			"license": "MIT"
+		},
 		"node_modules/@types/webidl-conversions": {
 			"version": "7.0.3",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/webidl-conversions/-/webidl-conversions-7.0.3.tgz",
@@ -14611,6 +14619,7 @@
 			"version": "3.0.0",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/wcag-contrast/-/wcag-contrast-3.0.0.tgz",
 			"integrity": "sha512-RWbpg/S7FOXDCwqC2oFhN/vh8dHzj0OS6dpyOSDHyQFSmqmR+lAUStV/ziTT1GzDqL9wol+nZQB4vCi5yEak+w==",
+			"license": "BSD-2-Clause",
 			"dependencies": {
 				"relative-luminance": "^2.0.0"
 			}
@@ -16637,6 +16646,11 @@
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/uuid/-/uuid-9.0.8.tgz",
 			"integrity": "sha512-jg+97EGIcY9AGHJJRaaPVgetKDsrTgbRjQ5Msgjh/DQKEFl0DtyRr/VCOyD1T2R1MNeWPK/u7JoGhlDZnKBAfA=="
 		},
+		"@types/wcag-contrast": {
+			"version": "3.0.3",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/wcag-contrast/-/wcag-contrast-3.0.3.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-oprevfwJSLfpQK4KaWsRKJuNoebV76+xhmbXiWJGy+FkS34LpCgCMNIwRXWTb8xmmSxUE2ycFOYE7uyRVRm3LA=="
+		},
 		"@types/webidl-conversions": {
 			"version": "7.0.3",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/webidl-conversions/-/webidl-conversions-7.0.3.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b76fc24..0d3d9b6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@
 		"@types/leaflet": "^1.9.8",
 		"@types/object-hash": "^3.0.6",
 		"@types/simplemde": "^1.11.11",
+		"@types/wcag-contrast": "^3.0.3",
 		"a11y.css": "^5.3.0",
 		"c8": "^10.1.3",
 		"colord": "^2.9.3",
@@ -137,7 +138,8 @@
 		"stimulus": "^3.2.2",
 		"tempstream": "^0.4.6",
 		"throttle-debounce": "^5.0.2",
-		"turndown": "^7.2.0"
+		"turndown": "^7.2.0",
+		"wcag-contrast": "^3.0.0"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
 		"@playwright/test": "1.54.1",
diff --git a/src/back/colors.ts b/src/back/colors.ts
index 1bf8b05..edccb2d 100644
--- a/src/back/colors.ts
+++ b/src/back/colors.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { colord } from "colord";
+import { hex as measureHexContrast } from "wcag-contrast";
 
 export const colors: Record<string, Record<string, string>> = {
 	basic: {
@@ -68,3 +69,108 @@ export function shade(color: string, shade_step: number /* 0-9 */) {
 	shifted = shifted.rotate(hue_step * steps);
 	return shifted.toHex();
 }
+
+export function getColorVariables(): string[] {
+	return Object.entries(colors).flatMap(([group, values]) =>
+		Object.keys(values).map((name) => `--color-${group}-${name}`)
+	);
+}
+
+function filterCandidates(
+	candidates: { color: string; contrast: number; shadeStep: number }[],
+	minimumContrast: number,
+	min_brightness: number,
+	max_brightness: number
+) {
+	return candidates
+		.filter(({ contrast }) => contrast >= minimumContrast)
+		.filter(({ color }) => {
+			const brightness = colord(color).brightness();
+			return brightness > min_brightness && brightness < max_brightness;
+		})
+		.sort((a, b) => b.contrast - a.contrast);
+}
+
+export function getFgColorVariable(
+	bgColorName: string,
+	minimumContrast: number = 4.5
+): string {
+	if (bgColorName.startsWith("--color-")) {
+		bgColorName = bgColorName.slice("--color-".length);
+	}
+	if (bgColorName.startsWith("--")) {
+		bgColorName = bgColorName.slice(2);
+	}
+	const [group, ...nameParts] = bgColorName.split("-");
+	const name = nameParts.join("-");
+
+	if (!group || !name || !colors[group]?.[name]) {
+		throw new Error(`Unknown color: ${bgColorName}`);
+	}
+
+	// Prefer an explicitly defined text-on token.
+	const explicitTextName = `text-on-${name}`;
+
+	if (colors[group]?.[explicitTextName]) {
+		return `--color-${group}-${explicitTextName}`;
+	}
+
+	const background = colors[group][name];
+
+	// Check both ends of the generated scale. This gives us the closest
+	// suitable shade rather than blindly choosing black or white.
+	const candidates = Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, shadeStep) => {
+		shadeStep += 0;
+		const color = shade(background, shadeStep);
+		const contrast = measureHexContrast(
+			colord(color).toHex(),
+			colord(background).toHex()
+		);
+
+		const candidate = {
+			shadeStep,
+			contrast,
+			color,
+		};
+		return candidate;
+	});
+
+	let suitable = filterCandidates(candidates, minimumContrast, 0.2, 0.8);
+
+	if (suitable.length === 0) {
+		suitable = filterCandidates(candidates, minimumContrast, 0.1, 0.9);
+	}
+
+	let shadeStep;
+	if (suitable.length > 0) {
+		shadeStep = suitable[0]!.shadeStep;
+	} else {
+		const darkest = shade(background, 0);
+		const lightest = shade(background, 9);
+		const contrast_d = measureHexContrast(colord(darkest).toHex(), background);
+		const contrast_l = measureHexContrast(colord(lightest).toHex(), background);
+		if (contrast_l < minimumContrast && contrast_d < minimumContrast) {
+			if (colord(background).brightness() > 0.5) {
+				return `--color-basic-black`;
+			} else {
+				return `--color-basic-white`;
+			}
+		} else if (contrast_l >= minimumContrast && contrast_d >= minimumContrast) {
+			// pick the smaller contrast so it's prettier than just near black/white
+			if (contrast_l > contrast_d) {
+				shadeStep = 0;
+			} else {
+				shadeStep = 9;
+			}
+		} else if (contrast_l > minimumContrast) {
+			shadeStep = 9;
+		} else if (contrast_d > minimumContrast) {
+			shadeStep = 0;
+		} else {
+			shadeStep = 9;
+			// fallback;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return `--color-${group}-${name}-${String(shadeStep).padStart(2, "0")}`;
+}