Color selection interface

1. A method including:

displaying a continuous spectrum of colors in a color selection interface, wherein colors of a color harmony are graphically identified based on a selection of a base color;

mapping each color in the continuous spectrum of colors to an allowed color in an allowed color set to obtain a plurality of allowed colors;

displaying the plurality of allowed colors in the color selection interface concurrently with the continuous spectrum of colors, the color selection interface comprising a plurality of discrete color segments each corresponding to one of the allowed colors, where placement of each discrete color segment reflects the color mapping between colors in the continuous spectrum of colors that mapped to each discrete color segment;

graphically identifying colors in the plurality of allowed colors mapped to the colors of the color harmony; and

upon selection of a different allowed color set, colors in the different allowed color set mapped to the colors of the color harmony are identified based on the base color.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the continuous spectrum of colors is continuous within a particular range of colors.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors includes a discrete set of colors.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein mapping includes determining a closest color to one or more colors in the continuous spectrum of colors.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors is associated with a color library or a color theme.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors is associated with a tag.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the continuous spectrum of colors is larger than the plurality of allowed colors.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein mapping includes dividing a color lookup table into two or more subtables.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the continuous spectrum of colors is displayed using a color wheel, color grid, or color bar.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors is displayed using a color wheel, color grid, or color bar.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , further including receiving an indication that a color from the plurality allowed of colors is selected.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the colors in the color harmony are determined by a rule that defines a group of colors in terms of another color.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the colors in the color harmony are determined by a rule that defines a group of colors in terms of relative positions on a color wheel, wherein the relative positions of adjacent colors form a fixed angle relative to a center of the color wheel.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the discrete segments cover nonsymmetrical areas of the color selection interface.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein all colors in the continuous spectrum of colors are mapped to at least one discrete color segment.

16. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

displaying a continuous spectrum of colors in a color selection interface, wherein colors of a color harmony are graphically identified based on a selection of a base color;

mapping each color in the continuous spectrum of colors to an allowed color in an allowed color set to obtain a plurality of allowed colors;

displaying the plurality of allowed colors in the color selection interface concurrently with the continuous spectrum of colors, the color selection interface comprising a plurality of discrete color segments each corresponding to one of the allowed colors, where placement of each discrete color segment reflects the color mapping between colors in the continuous spectrum of colors that mapped to each discrete color segment;

graphically identifying colors in the plurality of allowed colors mapped to the colors of the color harmony; and

upon selection of a different allowed color set, colors in the different allowed color set mapped to the colors of the color harmony are identified based on the base color.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors includes a continuous range of colors.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of allowed colors is associated with a color library or color theme.

19. A system including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:

display a continuous spectrum of colors in a color selection interface, wherein colors of a color harmony are graphically identified based on a selection of a base color;

map each color in the continuous spectrum of colors to an allowed color in an allowed color set to obtain a plurality of allowed colors;

display the plurality of allowed colors in the color selection interface concurrently with the continuous spectrum of colors, the color selection interface comprising a plurality of discrete color segments each corresponding to one of the allowed colors, where placement of each discrete color segment reflects the color mapping between colors in the continuous spectrum of colors that mapped to each discrete color segment;

graphically identifying colors in the plurality of allowed colors mapped to the colors of the color harmony; and

upon selection of a different allowed color set, colors in the different allowed color set mapped to the colors of the color harmony are identified based on the base color.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the continuous spectrum of colors is continuous within a particular range of colors.

21. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein each discrete color segment is placed over a region corresponding to the color from which the allowed color was mapped.

22. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein multiple colors from the allowed color set can be selected at the same time.

23. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein only colors from the allowed set that are near or adjacent to a desired color are displayed.