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colormap map sets the colormap for the current figure to one of the predefined colormaps. If you set the colormap for the figure, then axes and charts in the figure use the same colormap. The new colormap is the same length (number of colors) as the current colormap. When you use this syntax, you cannot specify a custom length for the colormap. To learn more about colormaps, see What Is a Colormap?

colormap(map) sets the colormap for the current figure to the colormap specified by map.

colormap(target,map) sets the colormap for the figure, axes, or chart specified by target, instead of for the current figure.

cmap = colormap returns the colormap for the current figure as a three-column matrix of RGB triplets.

cmap = colormap(target) returns the colormap for the figure, axes, or chart specified by target.

Examples

Change Colormap for Figure

Create a surface plot and set the colormap to winter.

surf(peaks)
colormap winter

Set Colormap Back to Default

First, change the colormap for the current figure to summer.

surf(peaks)
colormap summer

Now set the colormap back to your system's default value. If you have not specified a different default value, then the default colormap is parula.

colormap default

Use Different Colormaps for Each Axes in Figure

Create a figure with two subplots and store the axes handles, ax1 and ax2. Use a different colormap for each axes by passing the axes handles to the colormap function. In the upper subplot, create a surface plot using the spring colormap. In the lower subplot, create a surface plot using the winter colormap.

ax1 = subplot(2,1,1); 
surf(peaks)
colormap(ax1,spring)

ax2 = subplot(2,1,2); 
surf(peaks)
colormap(ax2,winter)

Specify Number of Colors for Colormap

Specify the number of colors used in a colormap by passing an integer as an input argument to the built-in colormap. Use five colors from the parula colormap.

mesh(peaks)
colormap(parula(5))

Create Custom Colormap

Create a custom colormap by defining a three-column matrix of values between 0.0 and 1.0. Each row defines a three-element RGB triplet. The first column specifies the red intensities. The second column specifies the green intensities. The third column specifies the blue intensities.

Use a colormap of blue values by setting the first two columns to zeros.

map = [0 0 0.3
    0 0 0.4
    0 0 0.5
    0 0 0.6
    0 0 0.8
    0 0 1.0];

surf(peaks)
colormap(map)

Return Colormap Values Used in Plot

Create a surface plot of the peaks function and specify a colormap.

mesh(peaks)
colormap(autumn(5))

Return the three-column matrix of values that define the colors used in the plot. Each row is an RGB triplet color value that specifies one color of the colormap.

cmap = colormap

cmap = 5×3

    1.0000         0         0
    1.0000    0.2500         0
    1.0000    0.5000         0
    1.0000    0.7500         0
    1.0000    1.0000         0

Return Colormap Values for Specific Axes

Return the colormap values for a specific axes by passing its axes handle to the colormap function.

Create a figure with two subplots and return the axes handles, ax1 and ax2. Add a filled contour plot to each axes and use a different colormap for each axes.

ax1 = subplot(2,1,1);
contourf(peaks)
colormap(ax1,hot(8))

ax2 = subplot(2,1,2);
contourf(peaks)
colormap(ax2,pink)

Return the colormap values used in the upper subplot by passing its axes handle, ax1, to the colormap function. Each row is an RGB triplet color value that specifies one color of the colormap.

cmap = colormap(ax1)

cmap = 8×3

    0.3333         0         0
    0.6667         0         0
    1.0000         0         0
    1.0000    0.3333         0
    1.0000    0.6667         0
    1.0000    1.0000         0
    1.0000    1.0000    0.5000
    1.0000    1.0000    1.0000

Change Colormap for Figure with Image

Load the spine data set that returns the image X and its associated colormap map. Display X using the image function and set the colormap to map.

load spine
image(X)
colormap(map)

Input Arguments

`map` — Colormap for new color scheme
colormap name | three-column matrix of RGB triplets | `'default'`

Colormap for the new color scheme, specified as a colormap name, a three-column matrix of RGB triplets, or 'default'. A colormap name specifies a predefined colormap with the same number of colors as the current colormap. A three-column matrix of RGB triplets specifies a custom colormap. You can create the matrix yourself, or you can call one of the predefined colormap functions to create the matrix. For example, colormap(parula(10)) sets the colormap of the current figure to a selection of 10 colors from the parula colormap.

A value of 'default' sets the colormap to the default colormap for the target object.

Colormap Name

The following table lists the predefined colormaps.

Colormap Name	Color Scale
`parula`
`jet`
`hsv`
`hot`
`cool`
`spring`
`summer`
`autumn`
`winter`
`gray`
`bone`
`copper`
`pink`
`lines`
`colorcube`
`prism`
`flag`
`white`

Three-Column Matrix

To create a custom colormap, specify map as a three-column matrix of RGB triplets where each row defines one color. An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]. For example, this matrix defines a colormap containing five colors.

map = [0.2 0.1 0.5
    0.1 0.5 0.8
    0.2 0.7 0.6
    0.8 0.7 0.3
    0.9 1 0];

This table lists the RGB triplet values for common colors.

Color	RGB Triplet
yellow	`[1 1 0]`
magenta	`[1 0 1]`
cyan	`[0 1 1]`
red	`[1 0 0]`
green	`[0 1 0]`
blue	`[0 0 1]`
white	`[1 1 1]`
black	`[0 0 0]`

Data Types: char | double

`target` — Target
`Figure` object | `Axes` object | `PolarAxes` object | graphics object

Target, specified as one of these values:

Figure object. The figure colormap affects plots for all axes within the figure.
Axes object or PolarAxes object. You can define a unique colormap for the different axes within a figure.
Graphics object that has a Colormap property. For example, you can change or query the colormap for a HeatmapChart object.

Output Arguments

`cmap` — Colormap values
three-column matrix of RGB triplets

Colormap values, returned as a three-column matrix of RGB triplets. Each row of the matrix defines one RGB triplet that specifies one color of the colormap. The values are in the range [0, 1].

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