diff --git a/src/pretix/control/forms/__init__.py b/src/pretix/control/forms/__init__.py
index ce1ea43da8..34e86e49e1 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/forms/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pretix/control/forms/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ from django import forms
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.forms.utils import from_current_timezone
-from django.utils.deconstruct import deconstructible
 from django.utils.html import conditional_escape
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
@@ -186,44 +185,3 @@ class SplitDateTimeField(forms.SplitDateTimeField):
             result = datetime.datetime.combine(*data_list)
             return from_current_timezone(result)
         return None
-
-
-@deconstructible
-class ColorContrastValidator:
-    message = _('This color is too bright to allow for proper contrast when used for text on white ground.')
-    code = 'contrast'
-
-    def __init__(self, message=None, code=None):
-        if message is not None:
-            self.message = message
-        if code is not None:
-            self.code = code
-
-    def __call__(self, value):
-        # See https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/#relativeluminancedef
-        fg_color = [int(str(value)[1:3], 16), int(str(value)[1:3], 16), int(str(value)[1:3], 16)]
-        bg_color = [255, 255, 255]
-        fg_lum = [
-            (float(cc) / 255) / 12.92
-            if (float(cc) / 255) < 0.03928
-            else (((float(cc) / 255) + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4
-            for cc in fg_color
-        ]
-        bg_lum = [
-            (float(cc) / 255) / 12.92
-            if (float(cc) / 255) < 0.03928
-            else (((float(cc) / 255) + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4
-            for cc in bg_color
-        ]
-        fg_rel_lum = 0.2126 * fg_lum[0] + 0.7152 * fg_lum[1] + 0.0722 * fg_lum[2]
-        bg_rel_lum = 0.2126 * bg_lum[0] + 0.7152 * bg_lum[1] + 0.0722 * bg_lum[2]
-        contrast_ratio = (bg_rel_lum + 0.05) / (fg_rel_lum + 0.05)
-        if contrast_ratio < 1.4:
-            raise ValidationError(self.message, code=self.code)
-
-    def __eq__(self, other):
-        return (
-            isinstance(other, ColorContrastValidator) and
-            (self.message == other.message) and
-            (self.code == other.code)
-        )
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/forms/event.py b/src/pretix/control/forms/event.py
index 705d5d7c9b..ffe264a3d9 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/forms/event.py
+++ b/src/pretix/control/forms/event.py
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ from pretix.base.models.event import EventMetaValue, SubEvent
 from pretix.base.reldate import RelativeDateField, RelativeDateTimeField
 from pretix.base.settings import PERSON_NAME_SCHEMES
 from pretix.control.forms import (
-    ColorContrastValidator, ExtFileField, MultipleLanguagesWidget,
-    SingleLanguageWidget, SlugWidget, SplitDateTimeField,
-    SplitDateTimePickerWidget,
+    ExtFileField, MultipleLanguagesWidget, SingleLanguageWidget, SlugWidget,
+    SplitDateTimeField, SplitDateTimePickerWidget,
 )
 from pretix.multidomain.urlreverse import build_absolute_uri
 from pretix.plugins.banktransfer.payment import BankTransfer
@@ -936,37 +935,30 @@ class MailSettingsForm(SettingsForm):
 class DisplaySettingsForm(SettingsForm):
     primary_color = forms.CharField(
         label=_("Primary color"),
-        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade that has a good contrast for text on white ground."),
         required=False,
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
     theme_color_success = forms.CharField(
         label=_("Accent color for success"),
-        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade of green that has a good contrast for text on white "
-                    "ground."),
+        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a shade of green."),
         required=False,
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
     theme_color_danger = forms.CharField(
         label=_("Accent color for errors"),
-        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade of red that has a good contrast for text on white "
-                    "ground."),
+        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade of red."),
         required=False,
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
-
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/forms/organizer.py b/src/pretix/control/forms/organizer.py
index 51fb4b8ba5..91aa00455f 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/forms/organizer.py
+++ b/src/pretix/control/forms/organizer.py
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ from pretix.api.models import WebHook
 from pretix.api.webhooks import get_all_webhook_events
 from pretix.base.forms import I18nModelForm, SettingsForm
 from pretix.base.models import Device, Organizer, Team
-from pretix.control.forms import (
-    ColorContrastValidator, ExtFileField, MultipleLanguagesWidget,
-)
+from pretix.control.forms import ExtFileField, MultipleLanguagesWidget
 from pretix.multidomain.models import KnownDomain
 from pretix.presale.style import get_fonts
 
@@ -181,32 +179,27 @@ class OrganizerDisplaySettingsForm(SettingsForm):
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
     theme_color_success = forms.CharField(
         label=_("Accent color for success"),
-        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade of green that has a good contrast for text on white "
-                    "ground."),
+        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a shade of green."),
         required=False,
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
     theme_color_danger = forms.CharField(
         label=_("Accent color for errors"),
-        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a dark shade of red that has a good contrast for text on white "
-                    "ground."),
+        help_text=_("We strongly suggest to use a shade of red."),
         required=False,
         validators=[
             RegexValidator(regex='^#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$',
                            message=_('Please enter the hexadecimal code of a color, e.g. #990000.')),
 
-            ColorContrastValidator()
         ],
         widget=forms.TextInput(attrs={'class': 'colorpickerfield'})
     )
diff --git a/src/pretix/static/pretixcontrol/js/ui/main.js b/src/pretix/static/pretixcontrol/js/ui/main.js
index 63c53d0f6f..431207489b 100644
--- a/src/pretix/static/pretixcontrol/js/ui/main.js
+++ b/src/pretix/static/pretixcontrol/js/ui/main.js
@@ -157,6 +157,22 @@ var form_handlers = function (el) {
         fill_field.on("dp.show", show);
     });
 
+    function luminanace(r, g, b) {
+        var a = [r, g, b].map(function (v) {
+            v /= 255;
+            return v <= 0.03928
+                ? v / 12.92
+                : Math.pow( (v + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4 );
+        });
+        return a[0] * 0.2126 + a[1] * 0.7152 + a[2] * 0.0722;
+    }
+    function contrast(rgb1, rgb2) {
+        var l1 = luminanace(rgb1[0], rgb1[1], rgb1[2]) + 0.05,
+             l2 = luminanace(rgb2[0], rgb2[1], rgb2[2]) + 0.05,
+             ratio = l1/l2
+        if (l2 > l1) {ratio = 1/ratio}
+        return ratio.toFixed(1)
+    }
     el.find(".colorpickerfield").colorpicker({
         format: 'hex',
         align: 'left',
@@ -173,6 +189,32 @@ var form_handlers = function (el) {
                 maxTop: 200
             }
         }
+    }).on('changeColor create', function (e) {
+        var rgb = $(this).colorpicker('color').toRGB();
+        var c = contrast([255,255,255], [rgb.r, rgb.g, rgb.b]);
+        var mark = 'times';
+        if ($(this).parent().find(".contrast-state").length === 0) {
+            $(this).parent().append("<div class='help-block contrast-state'></div>");
+        }
+        var $note = $(this).parent().find(".contrast-state");
+        if ($(this).val() === "") {
+            $note.remove();
+        }
+        if (c > 7) {
+            $note.html("<span class='fa fa-fw fa-check-circle'></span>")
+                .append(gettext('Your color has great contrast and is very easy to read!'));
+            $note.addClass("text-success").removeClass("text-warning").removeClass("text-danger");
+        } else if (c > 2.5) {
+            $note.html("<span class='fa fa-fw fa-info-circle'></span>")
+                .append(gettext('Your color has decent contrast and is probably good-enough to read!'));
+            $note.removeClass("text-success").removeClass("text-warning").removeClass("text-danger");
+        } else {
+            $note.html("<span class='fa fa-fw fa-warning'></span>")
+                .append(gettext('Your color has bad contrast for text on white background, please choose a darker ' +
+                    'shade.'));
+            $note.addClass("text-danger").removeClass("text-success").removeClass("text-warning");
+        }
+        console.log(c);
     });
 
     el.find("input[data-checkbox-dependency]").each(function () {