Color Name Diagrams for the
The New Munsell Student Color Set
Jonathan Ferguson
Dept. of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
4 Bancroft Avenue, 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1C1 Canada
Email: [email protected]
Thursday, August 9th, 2012
The Munsell Soil-Color Charts (Munsell Color 2009) were originally
designed for soil scientists, but have been adopted by archaeologists for
describing color in a variety of contexts, including artifacts. Unfortunately, the
range of hues in these charts does not include all the colors encountered in
archaeology.
The following charts have been designed especially for archaeologists
to insert into The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011). For the names on
these charts, precedence is always given to those included in the Munsell
Soil-Color Charts because of their long-standing use in archaeology. Where
these do not exist, the ISCC-NBS system is followed (Kelly and Judd 1976), a
nomenclature employed by many other disciplines. This compromise will
provide archaeologists with an objective color terminology, while remaining
consistent with past publications.
To use these name diagrams, print the file at 100% scale, cut along the
outer line of each page, and punch holes through the circles on the right. Then
insert each page into The New Munsell Student Color Set, facing the appropriate
hue page. Color notations can then be matched with names in the same way
as in the Munsell Soil-Color Charts.
The author hopes that this system proves useful for the communication of color in archaeology (and perhaps other disciplines), and would
welcome correspondence at the address above.
References
Kelly, K. L., and D. B. Judd. 1976. Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of
Names. U.S. National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 440.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce.
Long, J. T. 2011. The New Munsell Student Color Set. New York: Fairchild Books.
Munsell Color. 2009. Munsell Soil-Color Charts. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Munsell
Color.
Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
N9/
5R 5/14
vivid
red
2
/1
P 5ong h
R
5 str lis
rp
pu red
5Y
R
N6/
5B
gr str 5/8
ee on
ni
sh g
bl
ue
5G
5BG 5/8
strong
bluish green
gray
N5/
N4/
N4/
5R 4/2
dark gray
N2/
10
6/ t
5G llian
i
br reen
g
Hue
N5/
Value
N3/
5GY
8/10
br illi
yello ant
w gr
een
5GY
5B
5BG
N6/
/12
5Y 8
vivid
w
yello
light gray
5R
5PB
N7/
P
5R
5Y
R
str 7/1
o
or ng 2
an
ge
5Y
5P 5
/10
stro
ng
purp
le
N8/
5/10
5PB
g
stron
blue
N7/
N8/
white
5P
N9/
Hue Value/Chroma Chart
5R 4/6
weak red
/2
N3/
very dark
gray
5R 4/4
5R 4/8
5R 4/10
5R 4/12
strong
red
/10
/12
red
/4
/6
/8
Chroma
N2/
N1/
black
N1/
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5R
8/2
8/4
7/
light pink
7/2
7/4
7/8
7/6
7/10
strong yellowish pink
6/
pale red
6/2
light red
6/4
6/6
6/8
6/10
5/
deep pink
5/2
5/4
5/6
weak red
5/8
5/10
4/
4/2
4/4
3/
red
3/2
3/4
6/12
deep yellowish pink
5/12
5/14
strong
red
vivid
red
4/6
4/8
4/10
4/12
4/14
/6
/8
/10
/12
/14
Value
2.5/
dusky red
2.5/2
very dusky red
/2
/4
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5YR
7/
8/2
pinkish
white
7/2
8/4
pink
7/4
3/
7/6
7/8
reddish yellow
6/4
light reddish
brown
6/6
6/8
5/2
reddish
gray
5/4
5/6
5/8
4/2
dark
reddish gray
reddish
brown
7/10
7/12
moderate
orange
strong
orange
6/10
6/12
/10
/12
yellowish red
4/4
4/6
/4
/6
3/2
dark
reddish
brown
2.5/
Value
8/8
light
orange
8/6
6/2
4/
5/
6/
pinkish
white
moderate
yellowish pink
2.5/2
/2
/8
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
/14
Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5Y
8/2
8/4
5/
6/
7/
pale
yellow
yellow
7/2
light
gray
7/4
7/6
7/8
6/2
light olive
gray
6/4
pale
olive
6/6
6/8
5/2
5/4
5/6
olive
gray
8/10
8/12
strong
yellow
vivid
yellow
7/10
olive yellow
4/
4/2
3/
olive
3/2
dark olive
gray
4/4
2.5/
Value
8/8
8/6
/2
/4
/6
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
7/
8/
Hue: 5GY
8/2
pale yellow
green
7/2
8/4
light yellow green
7/4
6/
grayish
yellow green
6/2
8/6
6/4
8/8
8/10
brilliant yellow green
7/6
7/8
moderate
yellow
green
strong
yellow
green
6/6
6/8
5/6
5/8
/6
/8
3/
4/
5/
light grayish pale yellowish
green
green
5/2
grayish
green
5/4
light olive
green
4/2
4/4
dark grayish
green
olive
green
3/2
Value
2.5/
very dark
grayish
green
/2
/4
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5G
8/2
8/4
8/6
7/
very light green
7/2
7/4
7/6
light
green
5/
6/
pale
green
6/4
6/6
6/8
5/2
5/4
5/6
5/8
4/
4/2
4/4
3/2
3/4
very dark
grayish
green
dark
green
6/10
strong
green
moderate
green
3/
Value
brilliant
green
6/2
grayish
green
2.5/
7/8
4/6
2.5/2
/2
/4
/6
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
/14
Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
7/
8/
Hue: 5BG
8/2
very pale
green
7/2
8/4
very light bluish green
7/4
5/
6/
pale
green
light
bluish green
brilliant
bluish
green
6/4
6/6
6/8
5/2
5/4
5/6
5/8
moderate
bluish green
4/
4/2
4/4
3/
Value
7/8
6/2
grayish
green
3/2
3/4
dark
grayish
green
dark
bluish
green
2.5/
7/6
strong
bluish
green
4/6
2.5/2
/2
/4
/6
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5B
8/2
8/4
very light
greenish blue
7/
very pale
blue
7/2
7/4
light
greenish blue
5/
6/
pale
blue
Value
7/8
brilliant
greenish
blue
6/2
6/4
6/6
6/8
5/2
5/4
5/6
5/8
moderate
greenish blue
4/
4/2
4/4
3/
grayish
blue
3/2
3/4
dark
grayish
blue
2.5/
7/6
strong
greenish
blue
4/6
dark
greenish blue
2.5/2
/2
/4
/6
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5PB
8/2
8/4
7/
very pale blue
7/2
7/4
7/6
6/
5/
brilliant
blue
light blue
pale blue
6/2
6/4
6/6
6/8
6/10
5/2
5/4
5/6
5/8
5/10
moderate blue
strong
blue
4/10
4/
4/2
4/4
4/6
4/8
3/
grayish blue
3/2
3/4
3/6
3/8
dark
grayish
blue
2.5/
Value
7/8
2.5/2
/2
deep blue
dark blue
2.5/4
/4
/6
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5P
8/2
8/4
7/
very pale purple
7/2
7/4
7/6
light purple
5/
6/
pale purple
6/2
6/4
6/6
6/8
5/2
5/4
5/6
5/8
4/
4/4
4/6
4/8
3/
moderate purple
4/2
3/2
3/4
3/6
3/8
dark
grayish
purple
2.5/
Value
grayish purple
2.5/2
/2
dark purple
2.5/4
2.5/6
/4
/6
5/10
strong
purple
4/10
deep purple
/8
/10
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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Color Names for The New Munsell Student Color Set (Long 2011)
8/
Hue: 5RP
8/2
8/4
7/
pale purplish pink
7/2
7/4
5/
6/
grayish purplish pink
6/2
pale
purple
5/2
6/4
light grayish
purplish red
5/4
7/6
6/6
5/6
4/
3/
grayish
purplish red
4/6
3/2
3/4
3/6
2.5/2
/2
6/8
dark purplish pink
4/4
dark
grayish
purple
7/8
moderate purplish pink
4/2
2.5/
Value
grayish
purple
8/6
light purplish pink
5/8
6/10
deep purplish pink
5/10
moderate
purplish red
4/8
4/10
/8
/10
5/12
strong
purplish
red
dark purplish red
2.5/4
/4
/6
/12
Chroma
Jonathan Ferguson, University of Toronto, 2012
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