Lighten Headings as They Grow
As headings grow, reduce weight or lighten color to keep balance: a 48px bold heading feels overwhelming. Prefer darkened brand hues over flat gray, which looks lifeless.
Incorrect (heavy weight at all sizes):
h1 { font-size: 48px; font-weight: 900; color: #000; }
h2 { font-size: 32px; font-weight: 900; color: #000; }
h3 { font-size: 24px; font-weight: 900; color: #000; }Correct (progressive lightening):
h1 {
font-size: 48px;
font-weight: 400; /* lighter weight at large size */
color: #1a1a2e; /* slightly tinted, not pure black */
}
h2 {
font-size: 32px;
font-weight: 600;
}
h3 {
font-size: 24px;
font-weight: 700;
}Lighten weight before lightening color. A lower weight at 48px keeps full contrast, while a lighter color spends contrast the reader needs; heading text still has to clear the WCAG floor (see brand-color).