ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Colo(u)r Names

Legend Notes and Tables

(Retsof online version)

Gr�ce � la standardisation ISCC-NBS, les chercheurs du NBS ont �tudi� les noms de couleurs utilis�s au sein d'un certain nombre de nuanciers, et ont rapproch� ces noms des centro�des ISCC-NBS. En a r�sult� une table de 5411 noms que vous trouverez ci-dessous. Vous noterez que pour certains noms existent un grand nombre de centro�des correspondants.

David Mundie established the original table. It contains several more errors and leaves out the sources, making double entries of the same color confusing to the reader. John C. Foster noticed that the original centroids were converted using Macintosh technology, leaving a pink bias. I ran the conversions through the Munsell conversion to RGB where possible. Some out of bounds colors were shifted to the edge of the RGB gamut. Mistakes mean that some guesses were also done. I have not yet seen the original Munsell codes for the 267 centroids.

Le num�ro qui s'affiche au survol des �chantillons de couleur correspond au centro�de associ�.

The color order was mixed and contained duplicates. John Foster returned the color dictionary sources in these tables below, and the reason for the multiple numbered color sequences is now clear. He also found two color dictionary pages in the M-N section that were missing in the Mundie list.

Partial color names in brackets is a shorthand for two color names with the same characteristics used interchangeably:
bordeaux 15
bordeaux red 15
is in the dictionary as
bordeaux [red] 15

Entries for the same dictionary color from different sources will be combined here only if the color set is the same:
bois de rose(M) 19
bois de rose(TC) 19
results in
bois de rose(M,TC) 19

The Mundie entry was
bittersweet orange 51 35 50 37

bittersweet orange(M) 51
bittersweet orange(P) 35 50
bittersweet orange(R) 37
will remain here as three entries.

I previously noted differences from the Mundie list as "+" and "-" with names removed in parenthesis for clarity. Since this list has more colors and split sources, it was becoming confusing. These notations are being removed. This file will stand as-is as a comparison to the original Maerz and Paul Dictionary of Color. I have both the 1930 and 1950 editions, which contains only a very few corrections and has a 2 page supplement. Supplemental colors can be added easily if an existing color maps to the same plate/row/column. If not, I will pick a close centroid.

Gray and grey are the same color, but occasionally different in the dictionary as part of another name.

Double sets of parenthesis indicate first, government agency usage and second, the source.
{cross references will be shown in curly brackets.} The dictionary has instances of triple parenthesis where the first is an alternate color, shown here in [square brackets]. Ridgway color shades were originally numbers in parenthesis, but simply numbers following the color here.