# Rainbow Color Map (Still) Considered Harmful

Canonical URL: https://colorcurio.us/library/rainbow-colormap-harmful
Source type: Library entry
Resource URL: https://doi.org/10.1109/mcg.2007.323435
Added: 2026-09-22

## Summary

The classic case against rainbow maps: no perceptual order, hidden structure, and invented edges.

- Resource: [Rainbow Color Map (Still) Considered Harmful](https://doi.org/10.1109/mcg.2007.323435)
- By: David Borland & Russell M. Taylor II
- Published: 2007
- Kind: writing (article)
- Level: advanced
- Tags: color-scales, perception, data-viz, scientist, research

## In collections

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

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