Shade symbols for electrostatic plotter - shadeset P1

In the 1980s and 1990s, as electrostatic plotters became more affordable, many cartographers used them for map production. The color shadeset—or list of color combinations and line patterns—shown here was printed as a reference for electrostatic plotter color options. Cartographers consulted this shadeset list when making design choices about how to visualize different features on a map. The codes next to each swatch uniquely identified each color, allowing members on a large team to communicate color selection with one another—sometimes, as seen on the printout above, through the simple act of marking up the reference sheet with a pen or pencil.