Open map List

Colour Value

Color value in cartography refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, which is determined by how much white or black is mixed with the color. It is one of the three main properties of color, along with hue (color type) and saturation (color intensity).

Basic

Introduction

Key Characteristics of Color Value:

  • High Value: Light colors (e.g., pale yellow, light blue).
  • Low Value: Dark colors (e.g., deep red, dark green).
  • Used for Visual Hierarchy: Light values typically represent lower data values, while dark values indicate higher data values in thematic maps.

Explanation

Applications of Color Value in Cartography:

  1. Choropleth Maps:

    • Darker shades for higher data values (e.g., high population density).
    • Lighter shades for lower values (e.g., low crime rates).
       

  2. Topographic & Elevation Maps:

    • Darker browns for higher elevations, lighter greens for lower elevations.
       

  3. Shaded Relief Maps:

    • Variation in value creates 3D effects for terrain visualization.
       

  4. Thematic Data Representation:

    • Used in bivariate maps where one variable is represented by hue and another by value.

Examples

Example of Color Value in a Choropleth Map:

Income Level Color Value Example
High Income Dark blue
Medium Income Medium blue
Low Income Light blue

Outgoing relations

  • Colour Value is subconcept of Colour