Colorblind-Safe Palettes for Science Figures: The Definitive Okabe-Ito Reference

Color should clarify a scientific figure, not carry meaning by itself. A colorblind-safe palette makes your figure easier to review and easier to reuse in talks and teaching.

Start with accessible palettes

The Okabe-Ito palette is a reliable default for categorical data. For gradients, avoid red-to-green as the only signal. Use luminance contrast and labels so the figure still works in grayscale.

Add redundant encoding

Combine color with shape, line style, labels, or direct annotations. A pathway diagram can use both color groups and region labels. A chart can combine color with marker shape or line pattern.

Prompting tip

When generating a figure, ask for "colorblind-safe palette, high contrast labels, no red-green-only encoding." Then check the result before exporting.