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Intro To Color For Visualization

Color selection in data visualization is crucial to accurately convey quantitative information between data values. Proper color schemes, like those that spiral through a perceptual color space with equal differences in hue, saturation and brightness, maintain relationships between data points. In contrast, commonly used color schemes like rainbow palettes distort these relationships. Judicious use of color also allows multiple datasets to be layered together to tell stories of cause and effect.

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Bartholomew Wleh SNOH JR
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32 views

Intro To Color For Visualization

Color selection in data visualization is crucial to accurately convey quantitative information between data values. Proper color schemes, like those that spiral through a perceptual color space with equal differences in hue, saturation and brightness, maintain relationships between data points. In contrast, commonly used color schemes like rainbow palettes distort these relationships. Judicious use of color also allows multiple datasets to be layered together to tell stories of cause and effect.

Uploaded by

Bartholomew Wleh SNOH JR
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Use of Color in Data Visualization Robert Simmon robert.simmon@nasa.

gov

Color selection in data visualization is not merely an aesthetic choice, it RGB Color
is a crucial tool to convey quantitative information. Properly selected Televisions and computer screens generate a spectrum of colors by
colors convey the underlying data accurately, in contrast to many color combining pixels of separate primary colors that roughly correspond to
schemes commonly used in visualization that distort relationships the three types of cones—red, green, and blue. The wavelengths of the
between data values. Judicious use of color also allows multiple datasets three primaries do not exactly match the peak wavelengths of cones in
to be layered together, which helps to create graphics that tell stories of the eye, and emit at narrow wavelengths vs. the broad response of cones.
cause and effect. I will explain theories of color use in visualization, and Combined, these effects result in a gamut of colors on a display that is
show methods for selecting effective color palettes. smaller than the full range of colors humans can distinguish. Further-
more, pure red, green, and blue are not equal in brightness, and changes
Introduction to Color in their intensities can result in nonlinear changes in perceived color.
Visible light is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the
human eye, ranging from wavelengths of roughly 400 to 700 nm.
Differences in wavelength are perceived as the familiar colors of the
rainbow. From short to long wavelengths: violet, blue, green, yellow,
orange, and red.

Color and Data Display


Color is one of the most effective ways to encode two-dimensional data.
In the eye, cells called cones are responsible for our ability to discriminate Differences in color can distinguish different categories (for example
colors. There are three varieties of cones, sensitive to short, medium, and cropland, forest, or urban areas in a land cover map) or indicate quantity
long wavelengths. Each type of cone is responsive to a range of (percent forest cover or population). Color schemes for these two types of
wavelengths, with peak sensitivities at 420, 530, and 560 nm. Color is maps are described as qualitative and sequential.
determined by the relative number of photons detected by each type of
cone. Because of this, two combined lights with different wavelengths are Sequential map of elevation
indistinguishable from a single color. Cone response is not linear across combined with a qualitative map of
the spectrum: some colors (green and red in particular) extend over a mine permits.
broad range of wavelengths, while others (yellow and blue) occupy
narrow bands.

short
Relative Contribution
to Color Perception

medium
long

400 500 600 700


Wavelength (nm)
Divergent Schemes Qualitative Schemes
A subset of sequential color schemes, used for data that depart from an Colors in qualitative maps should be easily distinguishable from one
average or neutral quantity (temperature anomaly, electric charge, or another. They should also be similar in lightness and saturation to
pH), is called a divergent scheme. prevent classes from being over or under emphasized. Unfortunately,
humans are only able to reliably distinguish 5–10 colors simultaneously,
so the number of class must be small. Using saturated, medium-bright
“named” colors is a good approach: red, blue, green, purple, orange, etc.

Sequential scheme on a divergent dataset Sequential scheme on a qualitative dataset

- 0 +

Divergent scheme Qualitative scheme

- 0 +
Sequential Displays Rainbow palette
Sequential maps display quantities of data. To accurately display the data
and relationships between data points, care must be taken to ensure that
a change in the value of a parameter is perceived proportionally. Some
commonly used color palettes—especially the rainbow palette—do not
accurately maintain relationships, and are a poor choice for data display.
Transitions between some colors, green and red, for example, occur very
rapidly, leading to false contrast. Other transitions, especially green, are
gradual, and there is a loss of detail. Rainbow palettes have another
deficiency: because the overall brightness of the colors increases and
decreases over the range of hues there is no natural progression of
values. An alternative is to only use brightness, not color, to encode
value, but surrounding tones can significantly alter the perceived values
of pixels. Grayscale palettes are best limited to black and white reproduc-
tions. A better approach is to use a color scheme that spirals through a Grayscale palette
perceptual color space, with each step equally different in hue, saturation,
and brightness.

Resources
Color Brewer
http://colorbrewer.org/

Using Color in Information Display Graphics


http://colorusage.arc.nasa.gov/

References
Brewer, Cynthia A. (2005) Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users.
Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

MacEvoy, Bruce. (2008) Watercolors. Accessed April 28, 2008.


Perceptual palette
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/water.html

Rogowitz, B.E.; Treinish, L.A. (1998) Data visualization: the end of the
rainbow," Spectrum, IEEE , vol.35, no.12, pp.52-59.

Tufte, Edward R. (1990) Envisioning Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics


Press.

Ware, Colin. (2005) Information Visualization, Second Edition. San


Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.

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