colourful language - british cartographic society · • a better understanding of colour models /...

2019

Colourful LanguageTips for effective use of colour in maps

Warren VickEuropa Technologies Ltd.

2019

Overview

• Colour as a Visual Variable• Colour Models• Colour over Base Maps• Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD)

2019

Colour as a Visual Variable

• What is a Visual Variable?• Colour is a very powerful tool• It can help establish Visual Hierarchy to aid in the

intellectual comprehension of a map…• … but can also get you into real trouble.

2019

#sharpiegate

2019

@AchinZeileis & @RetoStauffer2

2019

Hypsometric TintsDepicting ranges of elevation as bands of colour

esri NASA

2019

Colour Models

• A better understanding of colour models / colour space will help you make better choices for your maps, both on screen and in print

• RGB = red, green, blue• Additive colour system. e.g. r+g = yellow

2019

Colour Models

• There are other models. e.g. CMYK(Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Black)

• Understanding colour gamuts• Visible vs. RGB vs. CMYK• Bad colour conversion / out of gamut• Converting to CMYK for print• RGB alternatives: HSL & HSV

2019

Colour Models – 24-bit RGB

• 24-bit = 8 bits for r, g & b. Range 0-255• Yields ~16.7 million colours• Expressed as RGB(r, g, b) or hex #rrggbb• RGB(0,0,0) or #000000 is black• RGB(255,255,255) or #ffffff is white• Shade of grey when r=g=b

2019

Colour Models – Colour Pickers

• Don’t regress to the 16-colour palette of the 1980s!

2019

Colour Models - Opacity

• The alpha channel… an extra 8-bits for opacity• Controls how source colour is laid down on destination• Provides transparency / translucency• 32-bit images have 256 steps of opacity, but often 0-1.0• Great for tinting areas or large text labels• Does not add to ~16.7 million colours• Blend modes… complicated but amazingly powerful

2019

Colour over Base Maps

• Background / contextual mapping often outsourced(particularly on volatile content)

• Base map services support web, desktop & mobile• Minor trade-off of control vs. convenience• Colour vs. grey (light and dark)• Supporting figure/ground and visual hierarchy

2019

Colour over Base Maps - Examples

esri.com City & County of SF

2019

Colour over Base Maps - Examplesht

tps:

//fir

es.g

loba

lfore

stw

atch

.org

Washington PostEsri, Inc.

2019


Carto

2019


2019

Colour Vision Deficiency

• CVD affects 1 in 12 males, making it a disability to take very seriously

• Most affected by CVD have aTrichromacy Anomaly

• Is it necessary to designseparate maps for peoplewith CVD? No!

• Include other visual variables,simulators and test with colleagues

Ishihara test

2019

Normal Vision

2019

Protanomaly / Protanopia

!

Rare

2019

Deuteranomaly / Deuteranopia

!

Most common

2019

Tritanomaly / Tritanopia

!

Very rare

2019

Resourceshttp://colororacle.org

2019

ResourcesDo you see what I see?A0/A3 PDF infographic

https://www.europa.uk.com/do-you-see-what-i-see/

2019

A riot of colour is not essential

https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/monocarto-2019-winners/

MonoCarto 2019

https://somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/monocarto-2019-winners/

2019

Thank youWarren Vick

[email protected]

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colourful language - british cartographic society · • a better understanding of colour models /...

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