# Semantic Discriminability for Visual Communication

Canonical URL: https://colorcurio.us/library/semantic-discriminability
Source type: Library entry
Resource URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.03171
Added: 2026-09-27

## Summary

Whether viewers can match colors to concepts without a legend depends on how distinct the colors’ associations are.

In bar-chart tests, that semantic distance mattered more than perceptual distance.

- Resource: [Semantic Discriminability for Visual Communication](https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.03171)
- By: Karen B. Schloss, Zachary Leggon & Laurent Lessard
- Published: 2020
- Kind: writing (article)
- Level: advanced
- Tags: perception, palettes, data-viz, scientist, designer, research

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