The document discusses the concept of color, detailing primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as color models such as RGB and CMY. It further explores the practical use of color in design, including thematic color schemes and visual variables, and highlights the importance of typography in map design. Key principles and conventions for effective color application in maps and graphics are also outlined.

1. Colour

2. Colour
• It is defined as "an attribute of things that
results from the light they reflect, transmit, or
emit in so far as this light causes a visual
sensation that depends on its wavelengths“.

3. Electromagnetic spectrum

4. Primary Colours
• These colours are the three colours that can
not be created by mixing other colours. The
colours are red, blue and yellow.

6. Secondary Colours
• These colours consist of two primary colours
mixed together. The three colours secondary
colours are purple
red + blue = purple
red + yellow = orange
yellow + blue = green

8. Tertiary Colours
• These colours are made by mixing a primary colours with
an adjacent secondary colours.
yellow + orange = yellow-orange
red + orange = red-orange
red + purple (violet) = red-purple (red-violet)
blue + purple (violet) = blue-purple (blue-violet)
blue + green = blue-green
yellow + green = yellow-green

10. MODELS FOR SPECIFYING COLOR

11. Colour Models
• A COLOR MODEL is a specification of a color
coordinate system and the subset of visible
colors in this coordinate system.

12. The additive colour system

13. The
RGB
colour
model

14. The RGB colour model

15. The subtractive colour system
BGR G + R = Y
-B
BGR B + R = M
-G
BGR G
-B -R

16. Perception and Design 16
The Relation
between RGB
and CMY
The CMY colour model
C = 1 - R
M = 1 - G
Y = 1 - B

17. 255,255,255
White

18. TERMINOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES IN
THE PRACTICAL USE OF COLOR

19. Color Wheel
Color wheels are graphical
devices that allow us to see
relationships between colors.
The colors in a color wheel can
be arranged in just about any
order, but they normally
follow a general progression
of hues as taken from the
visible portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum.

21. Terminologies
• Warm and Cool
• Complementary and Harmonious Colors
• Tints, Shades, and Tones
• Qualitative Color Conventions
• Quantitative Color Conventions

23. Qualitative Color Conventions
A color convention is a method of using a
color that is commonly used and which is
typically successful when symbolizing certain
types of map features in particular situations.

24. Quantitative Color Conventions
• Sequential color scheme
• A monochromatic sequential
scheme
• part-spectral sequential color
scheme
• Rainbow color scheme
• diverging color scheme
• Theme-Oriented Color Schemes

26. Theme-Oriented Color Schemes
• Pink and light blue to represent girls and boys
• Red and blue to represent the Republican and
Democratic parties
• Cyan and blues to represent water-oriented themes
• Gray tones to represent historical data
• Greens to represent “green sector” jobs
• Dark reds to represent red wine growing regions
• traffic light color scheme

27. Bitmap

28. • Number of Colors = 2^(Bit-depth)
• Bit-depth is the number of bits.
– It is also called “Color resolution”.
Bit-Depth = Color-Depth
Bit depth Color resolution Calcuation
1-bit 2 colors 2^1 = 2
2-bit 4 colors 2^2 = 4
3-bit 8 colors 2^3 = 8
4-bit 16 colors 2^4 = 16
8-bits 256 colors 2^8 = 256
16-bits 65,536 colors 2^16 = 65536
24-bits 16,777,215 colors 2^24 = 16.7 million

29. Perception and Design 29
Patterns
• Commonly used as a qualitative area symbol
for depicting area features.
• Also used to add graphic distinctiveness to
uniformly coloured areas, especially on maps
with a large number of classes.

30. Perception and Design 30
Categories of patterns
• Coarse line patterns
• Dot patterns
• Pictographic patterns
• Reversed patterns

31. 31
Categories of patterns

32. Use of patterns
A simple monochrome map contrasting the use of parallel line and
dot patterns. Line patterns are perceptually unstable, and all but
the finest textures should be used with caution.

33. Perception and Design 33
Visual variables
• Primary visual variables
– Shape
– Size
– Orientation
– Hue (colour)
– Value (colour)
– chroma (colour)
• Secondary visual variables
– Arrangement (pattern)
– Texture (pattern)
– Orientation (pattern)

34. Perception and Design 34
Primary visual variables
The primary visual
variables with
some examples of
their simple
application to the
classes of symbols.
From Robinson, et al., 1995

35. Perception and Design 35
Secondary visual variables
The secondary visual variables with some examples of their simple
application to the basic graphic elements.
From Robinson, et al., 1995

36. Perception and Design 36
Classes of symbols
• Point-emphasising symbols
• Line-emphasising symbols
• Area-emphasising symbols
• Volume-emphasising symbols

37. Perception and Design 37
Classes of
symbols (cont.)
Some examples of the
four classes of
symbols (point-, line-,
area-, and volume-
emphasising) and how
they might be used for
a few of the kinds of
qualitative and
quantitative data.
From Robinson, et al., 1995

38. Perception and Design 38
Typography and lettering the map
• Elements of typographic design
– Type style (typeface)
– Type form (style)
– Type size - measured by points (1 point = 1/72” 
0.35mm)
– Type colour
• Lettering the map
– Positioning

39. Perception and Design 39
History of map lettering
A portion of one of the maps in Sir Robert Dudley’s atlas, Dellá Arcano del
Mare (1646-1647).
Cited in Robinson, et al., 1995

40. Perception and Design 40
Type style
Times Roman
Helvetica
Courier
Bookman
Century Gothic
Comic Sans
Sans Serif
Normal Italic Bold Bold Italic
Times Roman
Helvetica
Courier
Bookman
Century Gothic
Comic Sans
Sans Serif
Times Roman
Helvetica
Courier
Bookman
Century Gothic
Comic Sans
Sans Serif
Times Roman
Helvetica
Courier
Bookman
Century Gothic
Comic Sans
Sans Serif

41. Perception and Design 41
Type form
Arial
Arial Italic Arial Black Italic
Arial Bold Italic
Arial Bold
Arial Narrow Bold
Arial Black
Arial Narrow
Arial Narrow Bold Italic
Arial Narrow Italic

42. Perception and Design 42
Lettering the map
Comparison between inappropriately positioning type (left) and
good design practice (right).
From Robinson, et al., 1995