# How Bad Is Your Colormap?

Canonical URL: https://colorcurio.us/library/how-bad-is-your-colormap
Source type: Library entry
Resource URL: https://jakevdp.github.io/blog/2014/10/16/how-bad-is-your-colormap/
Added: 2026-09-27

## Summary

A short function that renders any Matplotlib colormap in grayscale, exposing jet’s bands and reversals.

- Resource: [How Bad Is Your Colormap?](https://jakevdp.github.io/blog/2014/10/16/how-bad-is-your-colormap/)
- By: Jake VanderPlas
- Published: 2014
- Kind: writing (article)
- Level: intermediate
- Tags: color-scales, perception, data-viz, scientist, tutorial, python

## In collections

- [Perceptual Colormaps](https://colorcurio.us/library/collections/perceptual-colormaps)

[Back to the library](https://colorcurio.us/library)