web notes - a blog

In the event that a client has an existing color scheme, but doesn’t have a website - a dummy file can be created that contains a list of colors - with the syntax:

color: #839482;
color: #900321;

Since the color mapping code does not differentiate between how the colors are used, it can map any color in.

The color mapper only acts on CSS files. If you have other files, such as HTML or PHP files - with colors embedded, this code will probably need to be extended.

It should still work, the only adjustments would likely be in the script that gets the colors. It will need to read different files (.html, .htm, .php, etc), and the code that finds the color specifications may need to be changed to act on color= instead of color:.

This is the same blog skin as the http://know-waste.com web notes blog, except that it was run through the color mapper.

The only manual change required was to source the common CSS files (from /rsc/css) out of the local directory, so they could be mapped, too.

Other than that, the colors on this page were read from another site’s CSS file and substituted into the CSS files using the code and process described.

The original intent of the color mapper is as a tool for web sales and marketing people. It allows them to quickly get the colors from a client’s site and apply them to the applications they use.

This would not be a design approach, but a way to help clients see their colors on a product.

The other value of this scheme is as a design tool. Many times, the first step in design is to get the client’s existing colors into a design. This approach provides the starting point. It probably isn’t feasible to extend the concept to images.

The code listed isn’t automated, and due to previous security issues, no live demo is available. To use it, you need basic Linux command line and PHP experience.

It is likely some level of manual editing will be required, but, again, the time savings with this approach is truly tremendous.