The ColorBrewer color scheme picking tool is a wizard in the data visualisation world, especially for maps. What makes these color schemes so powerful?
A good color scheme has some mathematical properties like perceptual uniformity, or it should be distinguable for color blind people. Let's compare the ColorBrewer schemes with generated scheme using linear interpolation in 4 color spaces. And don't forget that the 'rules' differ for qualitative, ordinal and interval data.
Some ColorBrewer schemes look like the ones created with interpolation in HSL space, but some others in HCL. It looks like there is no general pattern.
Pick a color set at the right to compare several ColorBrewer schemes. The swatch count slider is used to determine the ColorBrewer scheme size.
ColorBrewer
Hex
#66C2A5
RGB
(102, 194, 165)
HSL
(161.09, 42.99%, 58.04%)
L*a*b*
(72.17, -34.04, 5.72)
HCL
(170.46, 34.52%, 72.17%)
Hex
#FC8D62
RGB
(252, 141, 98)
HSL
(16.75, 96.25%, 68.63%)
L*a*b*
(70.52, 40.35, 42.09)
HCL
(46.21, 58.31%, 70.52%)
Hex
#8DA0CB
RGB
(141, 160, 203)
HSL
(221.61, 37.35%, 67.45%)
L*a*b*
(65.55, 0.67, -24.51)
HCL
(271.57, 24.52%, 65.55%)
Hex
#E78AC3
RGB
(231, 138, 195)
HSL
(323.23, 65.96%, 72.35%)
L*a*b*
(68.97, 41.87, -13.88)
HCL
(341.66, 44.11%, 68.97%)
Hex
#A6D854
RGB
(166, 216, 84)
HSL
(82.73, 62.86%, 58.82%)
L*a*b*
(80.88, -31.65, 57.56)
HCL
(118.8, 65.69%, 80.88%)
Hex
#FFD92F
RGB
(255, 217, 47)
HSL
(49.04, 100%, 59.22%)
L*a*b*
(88.05, 2.46, 79.89)
HCL
(88.24, 79.93%, 88.05%)
Hex
#E5C494
RGB
(229, 196, 148)
HSL
(35.56, 60.9%, 73.92%)
L*a*b*
(81.18, 7.17, 28.73)
HCL
(75.98, 29.61%, 81.18%)
Hex
#B3B3B3
RGB
(179, 179, 179)
HSL
(NaN, 0%, 70.2%)
L*a*b*
(72.94, 0, 0)
HCL
(NaN, 0%, 72.94%)
RGB
Hex
#66C2A5
RGB
(102, 194, 165)
HSL
(161.09, 42.99%, 58.04%)
L*a*b*
(72.17, -34.04, 5.72)
HCL
(170.46, 34.52%, 72.17%)
Hex
#FC8D62
RGB
(252, 141, 98)
HSL
(16.75, 96.25%, 68.63%)
L*a*b*
(70.52, 40.35, 42.09)
HCL
(46.21, 58.31%, 70.52%)
Hex
#8DA0CB
RGB
(141, 160, 203)
HSL
(221.61, 37.35%, 67.45%)
L*a*b*
(65.55, 0.67, -24.51)
HCL
(271.57, 24.52%, 65.55%)
Hex
#E78AC3
RGB
(231, 138, 195)
HSL
(323.23, 65.96%, 72.35%)
L*a*b*
(68.97, 41.87, -13.88)
HCL
(341.66, 44.11%, 68.97%)
Hex
#A6D854
RGB
(166, 216, 84)
HSL
(82.73, 62.86%, 58.82%)
L*a*b*
(80.88, -31.65, 57.56)
HCL
(118.8, 65.69%, 80.88%)
Hex
#FFD92F
RGB
(255, 217, 47)
HSL
(49.04, 100%, 59.22%)
L*a*b*
(88.05, 2.46, 79.89)
HCL
(88.24, 79.93%, 88.05%)
Hex
#E5C494
RGB
(229, 196, 148)
HSL
(35.56, 60.9%, 73.92%)
L*a*b*
(81.18, 7.17, 28.73)
HCL
(75.98, 29.61%, 81.18%)
Hex
#B3B3B3
RGB
(179, 179, 179)
HSL
(NaN, 0%, 70.2%)
L*a*b*
(72.94, 0, 0)
HCL
(NaN, 0%, 72.94%)
HSL
Hex
#66C2A5
RGB
(102, 194, 165)
HSL
(161.09, 42.99%, 58.04%)
L*a*b*
(72.17, -34.04, 5.72)
HCL
(170.46, 34.52%, 72.17%)
Hex
#FC8D62
RGB
(252, 141, 98)
HSL
(16.75, 96.25%, 68.63%)
L*a*b*
(70.52, 40.35, 42.09)
HCL
(46.21, 58.31%, 70.52%)
Hex
#8DA0CB
RGB
(141, 160, 203)
HSL
(221.61, 37.35%, 67.45%)
L*a*b*
(65.55, 0.67, -24.51)
HCL
(271.57, 24.52%, 65.55%)
Hex
#E78AC3
RGB
(231, 138, 195)
HSL
(323.23, 65.96%, 72.35%)
L*a*b*
(68.97, 41.87, -13.88)
HCL
(341.66, 44.11%, 68.97%)
Hex
#A6D854
RGB
(166, 216, 84)
HSL
(82.73, 62.86%, 58.82%)
L*a*b*
(80.88, -31.65, 57.56)
HCL
(118.8, 65.69%, 80.88%)
Hex
#FFD92F
RGB
(255, 217, 47)
HSL
(49.04, 100%, 59.22%)
L*a*b*
(88.05, 2.46, 79.89)
HCL
(88.24, 79.93%, 88.05%)
Hex
#E5C494
RGB
(229, 196, 148)
HSL
(35.56, 60.9%, 73.92%)
L*a*b*
(81.18, 7.17, 28.73)
HCL
(75.98, 29.61%, 81.18%)
Hex
#B3B3B3
RGB
(179, 179, 179)
HSL
(NaN, 0%, 70.2%)
L*a*b*
(72.94, 0, 0)
HCL
(NaN, 0%, 72.94%)
L*a*b*
Hex
#66C2A5
RGB
(102, 194, 165)
HSL
(161.09, 42.99%, 58.04%)
L*a*b*
(72.17, -34.04, 5.72)
HCL
(170.46, 34.52%, 72.17%)
Hex
#FC8D62
RGB
(252, 141, 98)
HSL
(16.75, 96.25%, 68.63%)
L*a*b*
(70.52, 40.35, 42.09)
HCL
(46.21, 58.31%, 70.52%)
Hex
#8DA0CB
RGB
(141, 160, 203)
HSL
(221.61, 37.35%, 67.45%)
L*a*b*
(65.55, 0.67, -24.51)
HCL
(271.57, 24.52%, 65.55%)
Hex
#E78AC3
RGB
(231, 138, 195)
HSL
(323.23, 65.96%, 72.35%)
L*a*b*
(68.97, 41.87, -13.88)
HCL
(341.66, 44.11%, 68.97%)
Hex
#A6D854
RGB
(166, 216, 84)
HSL
(82.73, 62.86%, 58.82%)
L*a*b*
(80.88, -31.65, 57.56)
HCL
(118.8, 65.69%, 80.88%)
Hex
#FFD92F
RGB
(255, 217, 47)
HSL
(49.04, 100%, 59.22%)
L*a*b*
(88.05, 2.46, 79.89)
HCL
(88.24, 79.93%, 88.05%)
Hex
#E5C494
RGB
(229, 196, 148)
HSL
(35.56, 60.9%, 73.92%)
L*a*b*
(81.18, 7.17, 28.73)
HCL
(75.98, 29.61%, 81.18%)
Hex
#B3B3B3
RGB
(179, 179, 179)
HSL
(NaN, 0%, 70.2%)
L*a*b*
(72.94, 0, 0)
HCL
(NaN, 0%, 72.94%)
HCL
Hex
#66C2A5
RGB
(102, 194, 165)
HSL
(161.09, 42.99%, 58.04%)
L*a*b*
(72.17, -34.04, 5.72)
HCL
(170.46, 34.52%, 72.17%)
Hex
#FC8D62
RGB
(252, 141, 98)
HSL
(16.75, 96.25%, 68.63%)
L*a*b*
(70.52, 40.35, 42.09)
HCL
(46.21, 58.31%, 70.52%)
Hex
#8DA0CB
RGB
(141, 160, 203)
HSL
(221.61, 37.35%, 67.45%)
L*a*b*
(65.55, 0.67, -24.51)
HCL
(271.57, 24.52%, 65.55%)
Hex
#E78AC3
RGB
(231, 138, 195)
HSL
(323.23, 65.96%, 72.35%)
L*a*b*
(68.97, 41.87, -13.88)
HCL
(341.66, 44.11%, 68.97%)
Hex
#A6D854
RGB
(166, 216, 84)
HSL
(82.73, 62.86%, 58.82%)
L*a*b*
(80.88, -31.65, 57.56)
HCL
(118.8, 65.69%, 80.88%)
Hex
#FFD92F
RGB
(255, 217, 47)
HSL
(49.04, 100%, 59.22%)
L*a*b*
(88.05, 2.46, 79.89)
HCL
(88.24, 79.93%, 88.05%)
Hex
#E5C494
RGB
(229, 196, 148)
HSL
(35.56, 60.9%, 73.92%)
L*a*b*
(81.18, 7.17, 28.73)
HCL
(75.98, 29.61%, 81.18%)
Hex
#B3B3B3
RGB
(179, 179, 179)
HSL
(NaN, 0%, 70.2%)
L*a*b*
(72.94, 0, 0)
HCL
(NaN, 0%, 72.94%)
If you want, you can add you own color sets and experiment with the settings.
Comparison per channel
In our comparison we are interested in how much a swatch differs from the ColorBrewer swatch with the same index. If we plot the swatch indices on the x-axis and the channel value on the y-axis, it is easy to compare ColorBrewer and the schemes generated with linear interpolation in a certain space.
Note that scheme in RGB results a straight line on the R, G and B channel. The same goes for the other color spaces and their respective channels.