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arXiv:2107.02270cs.GR

Accessible Color Sequences for Data Visualization

Matthew A. Petroff

Early discovery. Linked by one identifiable commenter. This paper is outside the main ranking; a mention is not an endorsement.

Abstract

Color sequences, ordered sets of colors for data visualization, that balance aesthetics with accessibility considerations are presented. In order to model aesthetic preference, data were collected with an online survey, and the results were used to train a machine-learning model. To ensure accessibility, this model was combined with minimum-perceptual-distance constraints, including for simulated color-vision deficiencies, as well as with minimum-lightness-distance constraints for grayscale printing, maximum-lightness constraints for maintaining contrast with a white background, and scores from a color-saliency model for ease of use of the colors in verbal and written descriptions. Optimal color sequences containing six, eight, and ten colors were generated using the data-driven aesthetic-preference model and accessibility constraints. Due to the balance of aesthetics and accessibility considerations, the resulting color sequences can serve as reasonable defaults in data-plotting codes, e.g., for use in scatter plots and line plots.

arXiv comments
26 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables; comments welcome
Journal reference
DOI
Subjects
cs.GRGraphics

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Linked by 1 identifiable commenter in 2 comments across 2 threads, from Aug 2021 to Sep 2025.

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Discussed in comments2 threads

  1. Data Viz Color Palette Generator (For Charts and Dashboards) 1 comment

    • > My initial instinct is that finding 12 colors that are visually distinguishable for all users is likely impossible. Without going to lightness extremes, I agree that this likely isn't possible, at least when trying to accommodate all three types of dichromacy and for small…

      mpetroffView on HNParent context

  2. Make figures and presentations that are friendly to Colorblind people (2002) 1 comment

    • For those interested, I've done some recent research on this topic [1], which tries to find cycles of colors that optimize both accessibility for color vision deficiencies, using simulations and minimum perceptual distances, and aesthetics, using crowd-sourced survey data. [1]…

      mpetroffView on HNParent context

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