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Chapter 5: Color
Theory
UMESH BHURTYAL
PASHCHIMANCHAL CAMPUS
Color theory 2

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► Basic of Color theory: 4 Hrs
5.1 Nature of color: spectral and reflected color, color dimension
5.2 Theories of color perception: trichromatic theory, opponent process
theory, color constancy
5.3 Color vision impairment
5.4 Color modelling system: RGB, CMYK,HSV, Munsell, HSV, CIE
5.5 Color output: printers, monitors
5.6 Color management, color charts
Color 3
► Color is property of light (Photon wavelengths of light)

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► Every human also has a different emotional relationship with the color
► personality to map

VOICE & FEELINGS

► a fascinating topic; it is central to cartography, GIS, and Remote sensing
► essential element in creating images that can be used for interpretation and
presentation
► color conventions guide the cartographer, especially in quantitative mapping such as
on choropleth maps
Color 4

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► Are both exciting and troublesome
► color laser jet printer <<>> an ink jet printer
► difficult, if not impossible, to set color rules
► rigid rules can also be restrictive in design
► Reading thematic maps is a process involving the eyes and brain of the map
reader.
► The sensing and cognitive processing of color is called color perception.
Color perception is psychological 5

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► Depends on individual
► Personality
► Mood
► Age
► Gender
► Culture

Depends on experience and environment you are in.

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Human Eye 7

► Light-sensitive cells make up the retina. Rod cells, numbering about 120 million,

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provide for only achromatic sensations and have no color discrimination.
► Cone cells, numbering about 6 million, are comprised of three types with different
wavelength sensitivities.
► Color perception takes place in the brain and involves cognitive processes that add
meaning and substance to the light patterns sensed by the eye.
How do we see light? 8

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How do we see light? 9

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How do we see light? 10

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► Rods and Cones
Color Perception Theories: 11

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► Although complementary colors theory is the most up-to-date, the trichromatic
theory and opponent process theory help account for the complexity of color
vision.

► The trichromatic theory explains how the three types of cones detect different light
wavelengths.
► The opponent process theory explains how the cones connect to the ganglion cells and
how opposing cells are excited or inhibited by certain wavelengths of light.
► The complementary color theory explains which wavelengths translate to which colors
and how these colors are processed in the brain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiBKYNWllcs
Human Perception Range 12

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► A trained colorist can perceive great number of different colors
► The average person can differentiate some thousands of colors
► For encoding abstract information- e.g. Maps- use of more than 20 to 30 colors
exceeds our capacity to absorb data
► To represent a range of data, only 5 to 6 colors should be used
Color Models 13

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► Light color Primaries (Red, Green, Blue)
► Tab, laptop, television, projectors, cell phones
► Pigment color Primaries(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black)
► CMYK
► Off set printing
► HSV
► Munsell
► HVC, and
► CIE (CIE model, which, in theory, allows a mapmaker to reproduce colors
specified by other people)
Additive Light (RGB) 14

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► Color is transmitted through transparent media
► All colors added together = white
► The absence of light = true black
► Because computer graphics, websites, and other digital
presentations are projected/ transmitted with light, screen targeted
graphics should be saves in the color mode or “RGB Mode.”
► Important: Note that when RGB’s primaries are mixed evenly that
they create the secondary colors of our next color model,
CMY(cyan, magenta, and yellow)
RGB 15
► advantage of relating nicely to the method of color production on graphic displays

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► hue, saturation, and lightness are not inherent in the model
► equal steps in RGB color space do not correspond to equal visual steps; for
example, the color 125, 0, 0 will not appear to fall midway between the colors 0,
0, 0 and 250, 0, 0
CMYK model 16

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► These primaries are ultimately derived from the RGB model as
secondary color. The main reason they are promoted to having their
own color model is because it is from CMYK that we can create all
other printable colors. Remember that without the existence of
RGB light wavelengths, we would see nothing.
► Color is absorbed and reflected off by media
► Because these colors are achieved via reflection, we assume a pure
white ground as the base filter for pure colors
► All colors added together = near black
► To achieve pure black , pure black must be added, thus giving us
the CMYK model (K=black). This is the standard color model for
most printing, this graphics for print are typically prepared in
“CMYL Mode.”
► widely accepted in map production
Hue 17

► Name of the color

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► Each hue has its own wavelength in the visible spectrum
► Most color wheel have 8-12 hues, no more than 24
► the most complex map has (soil-geology) generally has less than 12 color
Saturation 18
► Intensity or purity of the hue

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► how “colorful” a hue is
► how “red” the red is
► also called chroma, intensity, or purity
► Saturation is a complex color variable that is related to both hue and value.
Therefore, saturation is not considered as a separate visual variable in the theory
of cartographic symbol design.
► However, saturation differences are perceived by the map user mostly as value
difference and therefore attention should be paid to this aspect when we select hue
or value to visualize spatial information
Value 19
► Degree of lightness or darkness of hue

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► Also called tint tone or shade
► Value is considered to be the most significant aspect of color, because it is a
primary factor in the recognition of graphic variations.
► In the absence of color, value ranges from white to black through intensifying
shades of grey
Shade Tint Tone 20

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Temperature 21

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HSV Model 22

► more intuitive from a map design standpoint because it allows users to work

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directly with hue, saturation, and value (lightness)
► The HSV color space is quite similar to the way in which humans perceive color.
► HSV also shares a disadvantage noted for RGB: Selecting a color midway
between two colors will not result in a color that is perceived to be midway
between those colors.
HSV Model 23

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The Munshell model 24

► user-oriented system that was developed prior to the advent of computers. Munsell

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colors are specified using the terms hue, value (for lightness), and chroma (for
saturation)
► The general structure of the model is similar to that of HSV (that is, hues are arranged
in a circular fashion around the center, chroma increases as one moves outward from
the center, and value increases from bottom to top).
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http://www.andrewwerth.com/color/

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27

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The Munshell Model 28
► An important characteristic of the Munsell model is that equal steps in the model

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represent equal perceptual steps.
► Thus, a color that is numerically midway between two other colors should appear
to be perceptually midway between those colors.
CIE Diagram 29

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Cartographic use of colors 30

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► To establish figure-ground organization
► To establish a visual hierarchy
► To develop a balance in the map
► To capture the user’s attention
► To identify and name locations
► To identify categories
► To provide emphasis
► To show order and structure in layout
► To enhance physical properties of the map
► To reveal information for better communication
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Guidelines 32
► Ensure legibility with high contrast

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► Provide sufficient contrast such that the eye can discern the color distinction
► Tufte suggests careful use of bright colors against grayish backgrounds
► Heighten perception and communication of message through use of conventional hues
► Blue= water
► Green = vegetation

► And use of conventional values and Chroma levels

► Dark = more
► Bright= less

► Strive for balance and harmony

Go beyond map presentation

Create map art
Choosing Color in Arc GIS 33

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► ArcGIS provides 120 preloaded colors with additional ones able to be added from
other “styles” that come with the software.
Creating a new color from a Color drop- 34

down menu

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Thank you…