IEEE VIS 2024 Content: Rainbow Colormaps Are Not All Bad

Rainbow Colormaps Are Not All Bad

Colin Ware -

Maureen Stone -

Danielle Albers Szafir -

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DOI: 10.1109/MCG.2023.3246111

Room: Bayshore III

2024-10-17T16:12:00ZGMT-0600Change your timezone on the schedule page
2024-10-17T16:12:00Z
Exemplar figure, described by caption below
Rainbow colormaps have long been criticized, especially when shape-from-shading is required (upper left). But domain experts continue to use them, especially for highlighting specific values and global patterns (lower left). Classic rainbows have uneven hue distribution and erratic luminance profiles. But it is possible to craft rainbow colormaps that avoid these problems. (upper right).Placing hues on key values can create a useful “color ruler.” (lower right) We understand well enough why rainbows can be bad; let us instead work to find out when and why they are good.
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Keywords

Image Color Analysis, Semantics, Data Visualization, Estimation, Reliability Engineering

Abstract

Some 15 years ago, Visualization Viewpoints published an influential article titled Rainbow Color Map (Still) Considered Harmful (Borland and Taylor, 2007). The paper argued that the “rainbow colormap’s characteristics of confusing the viewer, obscuring the data and actively misleading interpretation make it a poor choice for visualization.” Subsequent articles often repeat and extend these arguments, so much so that avoiding rainbow colormaps, along with their derivatives, has become dogma in the visualization community. Despite this loud and persistent recommendation, scientists continue to use rainbow colormaps. Have we failed to communicate our message, or do rainbow colormaps offer advantages that have not been fully appreciated? We argue that rainbow colormaps have properties that are underappreciated by existing design conventions. We explore key critiques of the rainbow in the context of recent research to understand where and how rainbows might be misunderstood. Choosing a colormap is a complex task, and rainbow colormaps can be useful for selected applications.