Chapter 4 – Color

Publisher Summary There has been more research on the use of color in visualization than any other perceptual issue. The role that color plays ecologically suggests ways that it can be used in information display. This chapter aims to show how color can be seen as an attribute of an object rather than as its primary characteristic. It is excellent for labeling and categorization, but poor for displaying shape, detail, or space. The chapter provides information on how colors can be optimized in visualization. To show detail in a visualization one should always have considerable luminance contrast between foreground and background information. The difference should never be made only through chromatic variation in the case of text. One should use only few colors if they are distinct codes. It is easy to select six distinct colors, but if 10 are needed they should be selected wisely and black or white borders around colored symbols can help make them distinct by ensuring a luminance contrast break with surrounding colors.