Archived Communities Documentation - A collection of colour tables

Original Article Date: July 6, 2003

Here's a nice selection of colour / color tables to fiddle with.
2004-02-19 Added the 22nd colour table from Jeffrey Malter. See Page 4.
2004-06-02 Added 15 more from John Evans, see pages 5-7.
2004-11-08 Added #39 from Carl Kastner, see page 7.
2005-07-11 Added #40 from Grahame White, see page 7.
2005-08-09 Added #41, #42, and #43 from Tim Waldock, see page 8.

Here's a file that contains a variety of colour tables to try. If you've got one you'd like to share, drop me a line and I'll add it to this article. Thanks, Inga.

These colour tables are supplied as is. AskInga, Bentley Systems Inc., and the author of the colour tables assumes no liability for damages direct, indirect, or consequential, which may result from the use of these colour tables. Use these colour tables at your own risk.

Here's another link to the file that contains a variety of colour tables.

Here's another link to the file that contains a variety of colour tables.

Notes for this page:

With thanks to Jeffrey Malter for sharing CT21 below! It's a beauty!

CT22 comes from Ross Hill. This particular colour table is set up for geological mapping and follow the Australian Standard Colour Scheme for geological maps and the geological timescale. To view how this colour table is used in exploration mapping, take a peek at this excellent image!

Here's another link to the file that contains a variety of colour tables.

With thanks to John Evans from Percy Thomas Architects for colour tables CT23 - CT38.

Regarding CT23, John writes: "This is the one I use as the default for all project files. The top block of grey shades allow shadowing below colours (users can change these greys to a colour suitable for a shadow - dark green for tree shadow for example).

The bottom block of grey shades allow shadowing above colours as in a projected elevation casting a shadow on a recessed elevation (again users can change the grey to a suitable shadow colour).

The block of pastel interpolated shades between the two blocks of grey shades cover most eventualities for block colour shading. These colours will naturally print above the top grey shade block and below the bottom grey shade block.

Colours 11 to 15 generate decent browns, a difficult colour to achieve generally without it looking dirty. Finally the colours on the second and third rows are a varied mix of useful, often used colours."

Here's another link to the file that contains a variety of colour tables.

Here's another link to the file that contains a variety of colour tables.

A note about CT39 which was contributed by Carl Kastner: This first three colours are the primary colours often referred to as RGB - red, green, and blue. The next three are the minor colours of CYM - cyan, magenta, and yellow. The remaining colours are mathamatical variations of these. Included in zip file you'll find a companion CT39.dgn file that contains a colour grid showing the formulas of each colour. The rest of the colors in the table are mathematical variations of these seven.

A note about CT40 which came from Grahame White: My mission was to produce 256 distinct colours that plotted OK. I decided to use a mathematical difference of 51 for the RGB values and generated a spreadsheet from a database of values in multiples of 51. The office also had 32 good distinct soft colours that had been developed by trail and error. I set about making a new colour table by using the AutoCAD colour table as my starting point. After 2 or 3 colours I realised that the Autocad colour table had used the exact same method to generate its colour table! I then merely replaced the darker colours ending with an 8 or 9 with the DLG soft colours and hey presto we had 256 distinct printable colours and Autocad compatibility thrown in. To make sense of this arrangement it is necessary to view the colours in Autocad style rather than the MicroStation square – hence the paper space on the supplied design file. Refer to CT40.dgn.

AskInga Article #151