The Best Cartography Websites – ColorBrewer

by Jeff Howe, Maponics Quality Manager on April 22, 2008 at 9:06PM | Permalink

If you have been involved in map creation for any period of time, chances are that you’ve heard of ColorBrewer. Originally created for academics by Cindy Brewer and Mark Hanower, this popular site helps novices and experts alike select optimized color schemes for their maps. The site’s simple 3 step process guides you through palette selection by providing information and tips, as well as visualization tools, that make each choice you face easier.

Step 1: Select the number of colors you intend to use on your map.

Step 2: Select a legend type. Choose sequential, qualitative, or diverging – the differences between all three are explained.

Step 3: Select from an array of palettes that correspond to the legend type you chose and see how each looks on the demo map featured. Color values are provided in RGB, CMYK, HEX, LAB, and ArcView 3.x. Information is also offered on whether a scheme 1) is printer/projector/LCD/CRT monitor friendly, 2) copies well, and 3) is distinguishable to a color-blind person.

This site makes coming up with a map color scheme easy – check it out!

http://www.personal.psu.edu/cab38/ColorBrewer/ColorBrewer_intro.html

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  1. Darrin April 23, 2008 at 6:35 am

    This is a great tool! Another color-based tool I like:

    http://kuler.adobe.com/

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