Spectrum
Color area
A color area allows users to visually select two properties of a color simultaneously. It's commonly used together with a color slider or color wheel.
Table of contents#
Anatomy#
Options#
Background#
The background of the color area is a visual representation of the range of values that a user can select from. This can represent color properties such as hues or color channel values (such as RGB or CMYK levels). The exact format this background property takes will depend on what implementation you are working with. Some examples of the format include image, canvas, and gradient.
X and y values, min values, max values, step#
The x and y values are the numbers selected within the color area’s horizontal and vertical axes, respectively.
The x/y min and max values also can be customized appropriately for what the color area is being used for. By default, the min value starts at 0 and max value is set to 100.
The step refers to the increment by which these values increase or decrease. A step value of 1 (default) allows a user to only select whole numbers within the min and max range.
Width#
A color area’s width can be customized appropriately for its context. By default, the width is size-2400 (192 px on desktop and 240 px on mobile).
Height#
A color area’s height can be customized appropriately for its context. By default, the height is size-2400 (192 px on desktop and 240 px on mobile).
Disabled#
A color area in a disabled state shows that an input exists, but is not available in that circumstance. This can be used to maintain layout continuity and communicate that the area may become available later.
Table of options#
From the design point of view, each component has a number of options. These options and their names are platform agnostic, and each implementation should adapt these to fit into their framework.
| Property | Values | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
| background | – This will vary depending on implementation. | – |
| x value | number (from x min to x max) | – |
| x min value | number | 0 |
| x max value | number | 100 |
| y value | number (from y min to y max) | – |
| y min value | number | 0 |
| y max value | number | 100 |
| step | number | 1 |
| width | number | size-2400 |
| height | number | size-2400 |
| is disabled | yes / no | no |
Behaviors#
Keyboard focus#
A color area can be navigated using a keyboard. The keyboard focus state enlarges the handle to become twice as large.
Handle behavior#
The color area’s handle can slide all the way over the edge of the area. It always displays the selected color inside the handle and never gets cut off by the border or any container.
Minimum width and height#
A color area’s minimum width and height is size-800 (64 px on desktop, 80 px on mobile).
Usage guidelines#
Display color selection#
When using color areas, it’s important to clearly display the color selection in real time. This can be in a color swatch, directly on the canvas, or both.
Color loupe on down/touch state#
The color loupe component can be used above the handle to show the selected color that would otherwise be covered by a mouse, stylus, or finger on the down/touch state. This can be customized to appear only on finger-input, or always appear regardless of input type.
Keyboard interactions#
| Key | Interaction |
|---|---|
| Tab | Places focus on the handle. If the handle is already in focus, moves focus to the next element in the page tab sequence. |
| Shift + Tab | Places focus on the previous element in the page tab sequence. |
| Up, Down, Left, or Right Arrow | Moves the handle up/down/left/right. |
Changelog#
| Date | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2020 | 2.0.0 |
|
| Mar 26, 2020 | 1.0.1 |
|
| Apr 20, 2019 | 1.0.0 |
|
Design checklist#
All interactive states
Includes all interactive states that are applicable (hover, down, focus, keyboard focus, disabled).
Multiple options
Includes relevant options (variant, style, size, orientation, optional iconography, decorations, selection, error state, etc.)
All color themes
Works properly across all four color themes (lightest, light, dark, darkest).
All platform scales
Includes a desktop scale (UWP, macOS, web desktop) and a mobile scale (iOS, Android, web mobile).
Defined behaviors
Includes guidelines for layout (wrapping, truncation, overflow), animation, interactions, etc.
Usage guidelines
Includes a list of dos and don’ts that highlight best practices and common mistakes.
Accessible contrast
Follows WCAG 2.0 standards for contrast (AA).
Internationalization guidelines
Works properly across various locales and includes guidelines for bi-directionality (RTL).
Keyboard interactions
Follows WCAG 2.0 standards for keyboard accessibility guidelines and includes a description of the keyboard interactions.
Design tokens
All design attributes (color, typography, layout, animation, etc.) are included in Spectrum DNA.
Generated UI kit
Includes a downloadable XD file that has been generated by code and shows multiple variations, states, color themes, and scales.
In Spectrum for Adobe XD plugin
Component is included in the Spectrum for Adobe XD plugin.
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