# Choosing distinct categorical colors that all work with opposing black gradients

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/choosing-distinct-categorical-colors-that-all-work-with-opposing-black-gradients/67596>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** plots\
**Created:** [September 2, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/choosing-distinct-categorical-colors-that-all-work-with-opposing-black-gradients/67596 "2021-09-02T19:49:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thompsonmj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/thompsonmj/32/25172_2.png) [@thompsonmj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/thompsonmj)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/choosing-distinct-categorical-colors-that-all-work-with-opposing-black-gradients/67596/1 "2021-09-02T19:49:53Z")

</div>

I’d like to use something like `:batlow` to choose 3 categorical colors, each to use in a color gradient against black, but some are too dark for enough contrast. How can I simply lighten the first two?

```julia
using Plots, Images
pal = palette(:batlow,3)

```

![batlow-eg](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/3/8/380e724f6730afc76cb86429ecd6000924b534ef.png)

```julia
g1 = cgrad([:black,pal[1]])

```

![batlow-1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/3/1/3196b2a6365fa25f9d6dbf4e0aaeeb8508fc2752.png)

```julia
g2 = cgrad([:black,pal[2]])

```

![batlow-2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/1/8/18b85dfb3c75d239d4d858e957e134e9878a2039.png)

```julia
g3 = cgrad([:black,pal[3]])

```

![batlow-3](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/8/e/8e227165c3249cf037aaa7680d26d388512c6da0.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thompsonmj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/thompsonmj/32/25172_2.png) [@thompsonmj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/thompsonmj)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/choosing-distinct-categorical-colors-that-all-work-with-opposing-black-gradients/67596/2 "2021-09-02T19:54:42Z")

</div>

```julia
using Plots, Images

pal = palette(:batlow,3)
pal_light = pal .+ 0.4*ones(RGB{Float32},3,1)
pal_light = [pal_light[1],pal_light[2],pal[3]]

```

![batlow-light](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/7/0/703e01d46ab3f90a29a33dc034e036022f4a4f25.png)

```julia
g1 = cgrad([:black, pal_light[1]])

```

![batlow-1_light](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/f/b/fbb208bade0a0fd3125fcc1bba4559bcee29138a.png)

```julia
g2 = cgrad([:black, pal_light[2]])

```

![batlow-2_light](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/d/7/d793769518083510e272f1c20e0a78c7a8f1bbd4.png)

```julia
g3 = cgrad([:black, pal_light[3]])

```

![batlow-3_light](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/7/4/742f14c96ce7b3a9fa3e000a457bd1f1e2e2afcf.png)