Symbols that speak color.
A free, open-source way to identify color when color alone isn't enough.
ColorSym is an open color-identification system: a set of simple, memorable symbols that map to colors so anyone can tell them apart, even when color by itself fails. Use it in board games, apps, print, signage, packaging, and anywhere color carries meaning.
Color is everywhere, but not for everyone. Around 300 million people live with color vision deficiency: roughly 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women, close to 5% of the world. When color is the only way information is conveyed, those people are left guessing. ColorSym closes that gap with universal symbols anyone can read.
Each color gets a unique, memorable symbol. The system is built on three primary symbols that combine to form the rest, so it is intuitive to learn and hard to forget.
Primary symbols
- Red: dot
- Yellow: line
- Blue: chevron
Combined colors combine their parents' symbols. Orange, for example, is Red's dot plus Yellow's line.
The full set covers the base colors (Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, White) and the combined colors (Orange, Green, Brown, Violet, Pink, Gray).
Three properties keep the symbols reliable:
- Omnidirectional: recognizable from any angle. There is no wrong way to read them.
- Easy to remember: primaries use simple, intuitive base shapes.
- Logically combined: combined colors are built from their parent primaries.
ColorSym ships as a font, so you can use the symbols as text in any application that supports custom fonts. Several styles are included out of the box: Regular, Bold, Sharp, Styled, Calligraphic, Pencil, and LCD. Because it is open source, anyone can design new variants and contribute them back.
ColorSym works anywhere color is used to communicate:
- Board games: accessible pieces, cards, and boards
- Digital interfaces: inclusive color coding in apps, websites, and software
- Product packaging: help people identify variants and information
- Signage: wayfinding and safety signs everyone can read
- Education: inclusive learning materials, charts, and diagrams
- Branding: accessibility built into brand identity and marketing
- SVG symbols: scalable vector files ready for web, print, and any design tool
- Font: use the symbols as text wherever custom fonts are supported
Downloads and a live specimen are available at colorsym.com.
Accessibility should never be locked behind a paywall, so ColorSym is free for commercial and non-commercial use. We only ask that you credit the project.
- Symbols: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
- Font: SIL Open Font License 1.1, https://openfontlicense.org (Reserved Font Name: ColorSym)
Use it, share it, improve it: commercial use, modification, and redistribution are all allowed under share-alike terms.
The font is released under the SIL Open Font License, so you are free to create your own styles and submit them for inclusion:
- Fork the repository to get the base files.
- Design your variant while keeping the symbol mappings intact.
- Open a pull request to share it with the community for review.
New symbols, language support, tools, and ideas are all welcome. Open an issue or a pull request to get involved.
ColorSym was born from a shared belief that good design should include everyone.
Chris Eastridge, co-creator. Game designer, software engineer, and founder of Moon Saga Workshop. Chris created the original color symbol system for his tabletop game Parks & Potions.
Luis Francisco, co-creator. Board game entrepreneur behind Grok Games and Boardssey. Luis expanded Chris's symbol system into ColorSym, an open standard for color accessibility.
ColorSym started from a simple problem: there was no free, universal color system that actually worked. Board games need symbols that stay readable from any direction, and the existing systems didn't. Chris built the first version for Parks & Potions. Luis expanded it into ColorSym, an open system designed for everyone.
A collaboration rooted in accessibility, creativity, and open design.
Made with care by Chris Eastridge and Luis Francisco.