Choose Basic, Detailed or Crayola color names
Updated
ColoredEye names each color using one of three lists, called color databases. You choose which one.
Change the color set
- Tap Settings (the gear at the top right of the camera screen).
- Under Color names, tap Color Database.
- Choose Detailed, Basic or Crayola.
New readings use the names from the set you chose. Detailed is the default.
Which one to use
- Basic uses 11 everyday names: Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White and Yellow. Choose it when you just need to know "is this green or brown?", for example when matching clothes or sorting laundry.
- Detailed uses about 140 names, mostly the standard color names used on the web, such as Teal, Steel Blue, Olive Drab and Medium Violet Red. Choose it when you want more precision, for example telling two shades of blue apart.
- Crayola uses 134 crayon names, such as Atomic Tangerine, Granny Smith Apple and Wild Blue Yonder. Fun for kids, art supplies and crafts.
Show the basic color too
With Detailed or Crayola, ColoredEye can add the basic color in brackets, for example Medium Violet Red (Pink). This is on unless you've changed it.
To change it, go to Settings, and under Color names turn Show Basic Color on or off. The switch is unavailable when Basic is chosen, since the name is already basic.
The spoken name leaves out the part in brackets, so you hear Medium Violet Red.
Why the same color can get different names
Each list has its own names, and ColoredEye picks the closest one in the list you've chosen. It judges closeness the way people see color, not by the raw numbers. So one color can be named differently in each list:
| Color | Basic | Detailed | Crayola |
|---|---|---|---|
| #008080 | Green | Teal | Pine Green |
| #40E0D0 | Blue | Turquoise | Robin's Egg Blue |
A few more reasons a name can change:
- Colors near a boundary. Basic has only 11 names, so each one covers a wide range. A blue-green can land on either side, which is why the two colors above, both blue-greens, get different basic names. Showing the basic color next to a Detailed name helps here.
- Lighting. A small shift in the light can tip a color over to a neighboring name. See get accurate colors.
- The exact spot. Moving the crosshair a little can land on a slightly different shade. A larger Sample Size steadies it.
To check whether two things really are the same color, whatever their names, use Compare. It also tells you how they differ, such as a bit redder.